Calls Me Home
by Cinnamon Silver Tiger
Summary: After Hermione saves his life during the Final Battle, Fred wakes up from a coma wanting nothing more than to thank her and tell her he returns her feelings. She's gone to Australia to find her parents but shouldn't she be home by now? Why has no one gone to get her? When she finally does return why is it Draco that brings her home? Rated M for later chapters DM/HG
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** So I have decided to take an adventure. One that will probably take a long time to write, longer than Moon Shines Red, I mean this could possibly even take years. I've felt for a long time like I had a hard time committing to a full length story. Reading back on MSR there are points where I can tell I rushed because I was stuck and it was giving me anxiety to not get a chapter posted for its readers.

On this one I will be taking my time and not rushing anything. Especially because I'm crafting this from an idea I got from a song I made my own meaning to. Calls Me Home by Shannon LaBrie. It's a love triangle I haven't tried before, with a couple that I'm really new to and a couple that I feel confident and comfortable writing.

Anyways I hope you enjoy and I hope that you can all bear with me on updates. Unlike my other stories, the only thing I have written for this is a three page idea in the beginning of the middle. No more than that and I'm sure when I get to that point even that idea will be edited by that time.

I am so open to ideas and suggestions from all of you because I'm not even sure how I'm going to end the story. I'm not even sure who Hermione will end up with in the end. I just hope that you all will stay with me until then.

Cinnamon

 **Everything in Italics are Fred's thoughts.**

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Even though lately I really wish I owned James Phelps.

* * *

 **Fred's POV**

Everything was dark, too dark. Just a moment ago I was teasing Percy about making a joke for the first time since he was little, and then everything went black. But not the kind of black where you're dead, this was really dark, but extremely noisy.

I hear Percy cry out and felt someone grab my body and hold it close. That same someone must have been crying because I can feel wet warm tears on my face. Or maybe those were mine?

"He's dead." Percy exclaimed, his voice close, it must have been him who was holding me.

" _No I'm not._ " I think. But I couldn't open my eyes, or move my body, and everything was still so dark.

I hear Ron cry out next to us and then I hear the sound of someone collapsing. Someone grabs my hand and gives it a quick squeeze before pulling their hand away.

As I hear the sound of the only female that was in the corridor with us cry it makes my breath catch.

" _Hermione, I'm not dead. Come closer and you will see, you of all people will notice that I'm not dead._ "

I feel someone picking my body up and the voices belonging to Harry, Hermione and Ron grow more faint.

" _No! No bring me back to Hermione you dolts! I'm not dead!_ "

It's frustrating that I can't move my body. I try so hard but nothing works, I can feel my chest breathing shallow breaths. But it's barely rising up and down, it's not enough for anyone to notice. I feel cold. Everything feels cold.

I can hear the battle raging on around us. I feel them laying me down on the ground. From listening to the voices around me I gather they've taken me to the Great Hall. I can hear the voices of Mum and Dad, Ginny and finally George.

" _Stop making those awful noises George. I'm not dead. Any minute now someone is going to notice that I'm still breathing, and you are going to laugh, and we will laugh about this years later after this is all over."_

I hear shouting. Footsteps running away from my body. Then it's quiet again. It's quiet and dark, and the only noises I can hear are coming from the other people who are crying out in pain and the people who are trying to heal them.

" _Someone, anyone, please notice that I'm breathing. If you declare me dead and bury me alive I swear I will come back to haunt you all."_

* * *

There were spells flying everywhere that Hermione and Ron were dodging, both wondering what had happened to Harry. He had left to go to the forest on his own and hadn't come back, what if he would never come back?

Hermione was so lost in thought that she barely registered that Yaxley was pointing his wand at her and opening his mouth to utter a spell. She saw it coming towards her once it had been cast, everything seemed like it moved in slow motion, then she was knocked to the ground by a strong force that felt like a warm body. She barely registered the person shouting the killing curse towards Yaxley.

She opened her eyes and watched as the light left the Death Eaters eyes as he fell to the ground. She faintly heard Ron's voice in the background calling her name. If it hadn't been him to save her then who had it been?

She looked up and gasped in surprise. Grey eyes met amber ones as Draco Malfoy pulled her up with him. He had one hand on her arm, pulling her weight up, and another around her waist.

"Careful Granger, wouldn't want to make it all this way to die by the hands of a lowly Death Eater now would you?" He smirked his trademark grin at her.

She just stared at him, gaping like a fish out of water. He released her and disappeared as Ron made it back to her side.

"What was that?!" He shouted at her.

"I have no idea." She shook her head.

She flinched as another curse flew past her. Ron grabbed her by the elbow and they quickly ran towards where their fellow Gryffindors were fighting a throng of dark magical creatures.

* * *

It was over, they had won, Harry had won. The trio was walking back into the Great Hall, looking for the rest of the Weasley family. They noticed all the red head's surrounding Fred's body and grieving over him. Ron ran over to them and engulfed Molly in a hug. Ginny saw them and ran to Harry.

Hermione walked slowly over to where George was standing. She reached up and put a hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at her, giving her a half hug. She looked down at Fred and felt a fresh batch of tears making their way down her face. He nudged her forward, as if silently telling her to go ahead and say her goodbyes. She slowly knelt next to Fred's body and shakily laid a hand over his arm.

 **Fred's POV**

I can hear my whole family crying over me. If anyone would stop crying long enough to notice my chest is still moving. Damn for wearing a jacket over a sweater over a shirt. Stupid layers.

I feel her presence all of a sudden. I know it's her because she has that familiar scent of vanilla and spearmint. I'd grown to love that scent over the last few years. The scent gets stronger and I feel her kneel next to me, she lays a hand on my arm.

" _I'm really really glad you made it Hermione. I'm so glad you all did. But now I really need you to come closer and notice I'm still alive!"_

She sighs a deep sigh and it sounds shaky like she's crying.

"I'm so sorry Fred, for always yelling at you and George, for always being so uptight, for threatening to tell your Mother when you were testing products on first years. I never would have really gone through with it you know? In all honesty I thought your guys' inventions were really brilliant. I thought you were brilliant. I never would have gathered the courage to tell you though." She squeezes my arm gently.

I always knew she had a soft spot for George and I. Honestly I've had a soft spot for her for a few years now, not that I would ever admit it out loud. She had always been Ron's and George had always been quick to remind me of that. I could feel her lean closer and her voice came out lower, like a whisper.

"I never thought I would get the chance to say this, and now there's no chance of you ever hearing it. But ever since my fifth year I've thought you were more than brilliant Fred. I know nothing would have ever come of it, I know I'm not exactly your type. But I had to say it, just this once."

She fancies me?! I always thought she fancied Ron, everyone thought she fancied Ron.

" _I always thought it was Ron you wanted. I never thought you would go for a guy like me, I thought I annoyed you too much. If I would have known sooner Hermione, maybe something could have happened. Maybe something still can, but you have to pull your brilliant mind together long enough to notice I'm still alive._ "

I feel her shift, and then feel her warm lips press against my temple. They are quickly pulled away however and I hear her gasp in shock.

" _Atta girl."_

"He's still warm. Too warm." I hear her mutter.

"What did you say?" I hear George.

She moves quickly and grabs my arm, pulling back all the layers and pressing two fingers to my wrist.

"Hermione what are you doing?" I hear Ron ask.

"He's not cold. He's been dead for hours he should be cold. Merlin, he has a pulse!" She shouts.

" _Ding ding ding. I could kiss you right now you brilliant witch you."_

"Hermione don't be daft, that's not funny." Ron says roughly. If I could glare at him right now I would.

I feel her moving against me to stand. She's replaced by another body who I assume is George. He's making those noises again.

She's shouting for a Healer, and suddenly there's hands pulling at me and I'm being levitated. I briefly hear someone say something about St. Mungos.

" _It's about bloody time._ "

* * *

Hermione walked into the small dark room in St. Mungos and sighed. It had been three days since the final battle and Fred still hadn't woken up. They had been successful in stabilizing him and while he wasn't hooked up to as many machines as he would have been in the Muggle world, he was still hooked up to one that was monitoring his heart. The soft beeping of it the only sound in the room.

Ron looked up at her from where he was sitting by the bed. Ginny was asleep in an armchair on the other side of bed. Harry followed Hermione into the room and instantly went to Ginny's side.

"I'm going to take her home." He said, as he picked her up carefully. Ron and Hermione nodded to him and Hermione moved to take the now empty chair.

"You should get some rest too Ron." She said softly.

"I told George I would wait until he came back." He said.

"I don't mind staying until George comes back. It won't do Fred any good if you guys are all on edge and tired when he wakes up."

"If he wakes up."

Hermione's eyes softened at Ron's response. She looked at the redheaded man in the bed who was breathing softly, although now much more visible.

"He will Ron."

 **Fred's POV**

I smell her as she walks into the room again. She's been here often, with the rest of the family. All I can think about when she's near is her confession, that and the fact that she saved my life. It hasn't been lost on me that if she hadn't felt the way she did about me she would be have never leaned in to make her confession, would have never kissed my temple, she would have never realized that I was still alive. I can hear her talking softly with Ron whose being a git about me waking up. Always the pessimist he is.

"Are you sure you're ok with me leaving?" Ron asks her.

"I really don't mind. You're falling asleep in your chair. You'll sleep better in your own bed." She says back to him.

I hear the scrape of a chair pushing back and the sounds of clothing on clothing which means they must be hugging. I hear Ron's retreating footsteps, then they stop, as if he decided not to go.

"Hermione, we haven't really had a chance to talk. You know, about the kiss." He says.

I can hear her sharp intake of breath and an overwhelming jealous feeling comes over me.

" _When did you kiss?! I thought you just admitted you had feelings for me and now your kissing my brother? And you Ron, keep your mitts off my girl!"_

"Ron look-"

"It was a mistake, I know. It felt all sorts of wrong, like kissing my sister." Ron cuts her off.

I hear a small sniffle come from where she's sitting on the side of my bed.

"Was that not what you were going to say? Bloody hell Hermione-"

Ron was never one with words, especially when it came to her. I hear her laugh through her tears.

"No Ron you're right! I'm so glad you feel the same way. I was so worried, we got so caught up in the moment, and afterwards I felt…nothing. I didn't want it to ruin our friendship." She cut him off.

The jealous feeling started slowly creeping back. It's not like I had any claim on her. I would have never acted on the feelings I held towards her, I just pushed them down and tried to forget about them from the moment they started, because we had all thought that she was going to end up with Ron.

But now, now everything was different because she had admitted that she liked me back. Even if she didn't know how I felt, or the fact that I actually had heard everything she said.

"Nothing could ever ruin our friendship 'Mione." Ron said.

I can hear the door opening and then it's just us, and I wish to Merlin I could speak out loud. I feel her grab my hand and squeeze it gently.

"Oh Fred I wish you would wake up, I would have liked to say goodbye properly." She says so softly it's a whisper.

" _What do you mean goodbye? Where do you think you're going?"_

"I'm going to be leaving to Australia to go find my parents. It could take a few days, or it could take a few months. Either way I won't be here when you wake up, and you **will** wake up Fred Weasley." She continued.

" _Yes I will wake up, as soon as I can figure out how to. I understand having to go find your parents but can't it wait just a little longer? I don't want you to leave. Not when you've just told me how you feel. I need you here Hermione."_

"I feel silly now I went and admitted my feelings to you. Not that you could hear me, but now I'll have to live knowing that I still told you. Facing you when I come back, it's going to be so awkward." She says with a small laugh.

" _It won't be awkward at all. I feel the same way as you do love._ "

"Katie will be coming to see you later today. Her and Angelina are supposed to coming with George. She felt out of place asking to see you, but George thought you would be ecstatic to see her, if you were awake."

" _Katie? Katie and I are just friends. There is nothing more there Hermione. Don't read too much into it. George didn't mean it the way you took it. He knows how I feel about you_."

"Anyways, they should be here soon. I'll go when they get here. I just really wanted the chance to tell you goodbye before I left."

She squeezes my hand again and I start to feel panicked. I don't want her to go. I feel her get out of her chair, still holding my hand, and I feel a weight on the side of the bed where she sits.

She's still for a moment, and then I feel her brush my hair out of my eyes right before I feel the soft press of her lips against mine. It's a feather light kiss but a kiss all the same.

I hear the door open, abruptly ending our moment that she wasn't even aware I was fully enjoying. The weight from her sitting on the bed is removed and I can hear the voices of Angelina and Katie as they come closer.

I try and listen through them to hear what she's saying to George, but all I can pick out is him telling her he wishes that she would stay, and a firm decision on her end to go.

I have never felt so completely hopeless in my entire life.

* * *

 **4 months later**

Fred had been moved to a slightly larger room that was private, and allowed him to have visitors at all times of the day or night. The room, on this particular afternoon, was filled with the entire Weasley family and Harry.

Molly was sitting in the corner knitting a new sweater for Fred, while Arthur was chatting with Percy next to her about work at the Ministry. George and Charlie were discussing George opening the shop back up, while Harry was with Ron and Ginny all huddled around Fred's bed.

Everyone had gone back to their jobs and Harry and Ron had joined the Auror's program. Ginny had decided to go back to Hogwarts when it reopened to finish out her schooling. Something they had all agreed Hermione would have liked to do.

But it had been four months and they hadn't heard much from her except for the occasional owl. She had found her parents but hadn't restored their memories yet. Ron had begged her to come back once she had found out her parents were ok, but she would barely acknowledge anything that anyone wrote in a letter.

Everyone had found it quite odd. Harry had discussed going down there to find her but she had been adamant about no one going there to try and retrieve her, telling them that she would be back when she felt the time was right.

The machine that Fred had been hooked to for the last four months made a high pitched beeping noise that caught everyones attention and the room fell silent. After a few seconds it started making the sound more rapidly and Harry jumped up when Fred's hand twitched.

"He moved!" He yelled out.

Arthur moved towards the door and shouted down the hall for a Healer as the rest of the family crowded around the bed. Fred's hand twitched again and Molly cried out.

"Fred! My boy! Come back to us!" She cried as she grabbed his hand and held it in hers.

"H…m…e." It was as soft as a whisper and no one understood what it was, but it had come from Fred.

They made a gap to allow the Healer to walk through as he came into the room. He started checking the monitor that Fred was hooked up to and started performing some spells to check his vitals.

"Her..mi…e." Fred tried again, his voice sounded scratchy and Ginny poured a glass of water and handed it to the Healer who brought the glass to Fred's lips.

"Fred! Can you hear us?!" George yelled.

Fred's face scrunched up and he brought a hand up to his head. He opened his mouth again to try and speak but no words came out.

"Everyone quiet! He's trying to say something." The Healer shushed everyone.

All eyes were on Fred and everyone's ears were straining to hear the first words he would be speaking in months.

"Hermione." It was a soft whisper, but it raised a lot of eyebrows.

"Did he just say what I think he said?" Ron asked. Harry and Ginny nodded in response.

"Hermione…where is Hermione?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Yes where is Hermione? Please review! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note** : Thank you so much for all the support for the first chapter! Thank you to ksouza3, Arianna21, dakato, dragoneyes90, starlite22, HarryPotterIsLife1221, nightsinaugust, justagirloutthere, kittie, blushingpixie, Leish92, southernyankee90, leelolalee, CGinny, ShadowPrincess1621, xXkatlagXx, ItzelNox, Snakefang, strangelove9, TheDarkLadyofSlytherin, survin76, Dorky-reader, Arilasirene, lildevil0644, mcollis3, darla32, nutmeg11199, jmrstarlover, frances2, Collectorofkeys, enchanted16, aligirl84, I was BOTWP, XFlipJamsx, elysia11503, jmfantasy, Emmaline Wood, Persephone Targaryen, goldensnitch9, Anzera Fitzroy, and TeddyBella for adding the story to your alerts.

Thank you to Iceprincess22454, dogloverlisathekud, blushingpixie, gleeks4all, southernyankee90, xXkatlagXx, TheDarkLadyofSlytherin, mcollis3, frances2, Collectorofkeys, aligirl84, elysia11503, goldensnitch9, and TeddyBella for adding the story to their favorites.

Thank you to skellyshook (whose reviews for some reason are not making it through to my email), starlite22, guest, morethanbooks, TheDarkLadyofSlytherin, and TeddyBella for reviewing. I appreciate the reviews soooo much! It makes my day to get to see them and know that you are enjoying the story, so I deeply appreciate it.

Special thank you to blushingpixie, La Belladonna, and TheDarkLadyofSlytherin who have added me either to their author alerts or favorites or both! Love you guys!

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own anything

* * *

Hermione watched her parents from across the room as they laughed over lunch in a small café. After months observing them she seemed to have fallen into a routine of eating at the same places and shopping in the same grocery stores just so she could see them. They ate at this particular café every Wednesday, a lunch tradition that they had done as a family before she had wiped their memories of her.

She smiled as she sipped her tea and reached for her bag. She had some letters that she hadn't read yet that had been delivered the day before. She felt slightly bad as she realized that there were some letters in the pile that had been sent weeks ago and she just hadn't gotten around to reading them yet.

It wasn't that she was ignoring her friends, or that she didn't _want_ to go back. But when it came time to face her parents and restore their memories, she felt like the right time just hadn't come up. They were so happy with their lives, and she knew that once she gave them back their memories they would be upset with her. She just wasn't ready to deal with that yet.

She would also be lying if she said she didn't like the feeling of being normal for once. No one knew her here, in London everyone knew her face and she couldn't go more than a few feet without someone coming up to say hello. Here she wasn't a bushy haired know it all, she wasn't part of the Golden Trio, she wasn't a war hero, she was just Hermione. It felt really good to just be Hermione.

Sometimes she would venture into the magical part of Sydney to collect a few magical items, but the magical world was still the magical world, and there wasn't a witch or wizard who didn't know her name. So she would try and alter her appearance in hopes to remain inconspicuous. Since she only went a few times a month it would be the only time she had to send her letters out via owl. If she chose to send any at all.

She knew everyone would be busy starting their lives up again. A very welcome distraction that she didn't want to pull anyone away from. So when Harry had written saying that she had been gone for too long and he wanted to come and retrieve her, she had said no, and probably more harshly than she had meant it.

When she did find the time to send a letter, she often asked about how Fred was doing, if he had made any improvement at all. Harry and Ginny always wrote back that had nothing had changed and that Ron said hi, apparently he had started dating Padma not long after she left. Also, apparently Katie and Angelina visited Fred a lot with George. Ginny had written that often enough George made it seem like Katie and Fred had been an item before the final battle, another reason why Hermione was in no hurry to return. She felt stupid for confessing her feelings to him, even more now that she knew he was in a relationship with Katie.

Katie was beautiful, and loved Quidditch, and all the twins' jokes. She was perfect for Fred, how would Hermione ever hope to even compete with her? She wouldn't, because Hermione Granger was not the type of female to compete with another woman for a man's attention.

However, this didn't mean that she hadn't taken the last few months to hone into her girly side. She had never felt pretty, even at the Yule Ball she had felt like she barely registered on the scale at the same number that the other girls in her dorm were rated at everyday. She was never one to really care about her looks, but away from everyone who knew her appearance as nothing but bushy hair and baggy clothes, she had taken the time to re-invent herself.

First to go had been the bushy hair, now that she was older it was a little more tame but she had felt the need for a drastic change, so she had it cut to her collar bone. Her unruly curls had become beautiful soft waves and all the time in the sun had brightened her color to a honey kissed chocolate. She had thrown out all of her old clothes and had bought an entirely new wardrobe, one that fit her body type, no more baggy clothes for her. She even had been experimenting with makeup. She always thought the stuff was really unnecessary, but she did find that when applied skillfully, it was indeed very flattering for her features. Just a little mascara and some lipstick had found their way into her every day routine, and she found herself staring at a brand new woman. One that made her feel pretty and empowered in a whole different sense than she normally did.

Not that finding a boyfriend was on her list of things to do, but she was excited to see the reaction from her boys when she finally did return. Nothing like surprising people who thought you were completely predictable.

She flipped through the letters and realized that Ginny had written her three times in the past week. She frowned, wondering if something had happened. She flipped the letter over to open it as she stood from her table and headed out of the café.

 **Hermione-**

 **I know that you don't want anyone to come down there and get you, I know that it must be really nice to be having some peace and quiet right now. But I think it's definitely time for you to come home. Fred has woken up finally! He's asking for you, your name was literally the first thing that came out of his mouth. Quite odd if you ask me really, but Harry supposes it's because Fred subconsciously knew that it was you that saved him. Besides, I'm really tired of being the only female around here. I've never really gotten along with Padma that well, and Angelina and Katie are so annoying! Always around hanging on George and now I'm sure they will be all over Fred. Please come home Hermione, I beg you. I miss you.**

 **Love,**

 **Ginny**

Hermione had stopped on the sidewalk and had to re-read the letter a few times before it finally sunk in. Fred was awake? He was awake and he was asking for her? Why was he asking for her? Harry was probably right, it probably had something to do with her being the one to realize that he was still alive.

She shook her head and looked up to see her parents getting into a cab in front of her. It was like everything just clicked into place. Ginny was right, it was time to go home, and she wasn't going anywhere without her parents. She rushed forward as their cab started driving away. She quickly jumped into another one that had been parked at the sidewalk and hurriedly told the driver to follow the one in front of it.

She re-read the letter again to make sure she wasn't imagining the words that were written on the parchment. Her heart was pounding so hard with excitement she could hear it in her ears. Until the sounds of breaks squealing, and the loud sickening crunch of glass and metal breaking overtook the sound of heart.

Time seemed to move in slow motion as she looked up to see that a large truck had ran into her parents cab, completely caving in the side, and pushing it into the turn light in the middle of the road crushing the other side. She felt herself being thrown back into the seat as her own cab driver slammed on his breaks and turned, trying to avoid the crash. Unfortunately for them, there were other cars who were also trying to avoid the crash, and the last thing Hermione heard before her head hit the side window was the sound of someone screaming.

Then, her world went black.

* * *

Fred looked around the shop and beamed in pride at how well it was still doing. There were young kids littered throughout the store and even some adults who would pick up a product and look around to make sure no one was watching them as they put it in their basket to purchase.

He had been released only a few days ago, but he had passed all his physical tests and had been allowed to go home as long as he checked in every week for observation. Molly had been overjoyed that he was going to be coming home, it had taken a lot of convincing on Fred's part that he was fine to go back to the flat he and George shared above the shop. He didn't feel as though months had passed since the final battle. He felt as if everything had picked up right where it had left off, before the war that is. There was just something missing, or rather someone.

"If we keep going at this rate Gred we will be ahead of our plan to open up the second store in Hogsmeade." George said, coming to stand next to his brother.

"Well Forge I think it's about time the youngsters of Hogwarts were able to get all their pranking needs every weekend!" He replied.

George looked at him sideways, not missing that the tone of his voice was a little devoid of the usual humor it held. The first thing that Fred had wanted to do when he woke up was to go find Hermione once he found out that she went to Australia. He had said it was to thank her for saving him, after what had happened had been explained to him. It hadn't really surprised George when Hermione was the first person that Fred had asked for. He had known about his brothers feelings for the girl for years, but he stood by his opinion that it was not a good idea and therefore kept pushing Angelina's best friend Katie on his twin. He had said that Fred could thank her when she decided to come home.

"What's wrong Fred?" He asked.

"Nothing is wrong why do you ask?" Fred replied. It was a lie of course, because everything had felt wrong since he woke up. It just didn't feel right with Hermione gone.

"You just seem down in the dumps. You know what will cheer you up though? Coming to the pub with me and Angelina, Katie will be there." George poked him in the side with his elbow.

"Katie and I are just friends George. Give it up. But a pint does sound nice." He turned to walk away but not before poking George back a lot harder in the stomach. George doubled over and clutched his stomach.

"By the way it's your turn to pick up the tab!" Fred yelled back at him.

* * *

Cold grey eyes stared at the paper in front of him and narrowed in frustration at its contents. Life after the war had definitely not been easy on Draco Malfoy. With both Dumbledore and Snape gone there had been no one to testify on his behalf that he was in fact working as a spy for the Order, more specifically for Dumbledore. During his sixth year the pressure from the task that Voldemort had given him had finally won over and after a breakdown in the room of requirement he had gone to Dumbledore seeking help.

He had been surprised to find that his Godfather was a spy for the Order already, but a lot more things started making sense once he knew that information. Between Snape, Dumbledore and himself they had decided that he would follow in Snape's footsteps and help Dumbledore out in any way that he could. They hadn't told anyone else in the Order, with the Weasley twins being the newest members it wouldn't be long before Harry had found out, and given his past with Harry they all thought it best if that problem didn't even have a chance to surface.

Of course, after the war, the problem did surface but surprisingly went much better than expected. Draco had no one to vouch for him, and nothing but thoughts he willingly gave over to the Wizengamot so that they could look into a pensieve and see for themselves. But his name held the weight of the title Death Eater and he found himself ready to face life in Azkaban. That was until Harry Potter himself came through the door to testify on his behalf. Apparently Snape had given some of his memories to Harry before he died during the battle. Memories that had cleared Draco of all charges.

Since then he had formed some sort of a camaraderie with Harry, something he never thought possible. Ron of course would have none of it and so nothing had changed between the red head and the blond, even though Harry continued to tell Ron that Draco had really switched sides, he had seen it for himself in the memories. Even Hermione Granger had come forth and testified on his behalf, saying that even though she hadn't seen the memories that he had switched sides, and then she revealed that he had saved her during the battle.

Annoying as it was to Draco, it was all it took to convince the Wizengamot to not sentence him, and he was grateful for that. Not that he would admit it out loud. But that had been months ago and now here was in a predicament where it looked like he was going to have to go to the Gryffindor trio for help again, one particular bushy haired Gryffindor in fact.

"Are you insane? I'm pouring a fortune into these buildings for these creatures and all they want to do is complain and not give me permission to build on their land? How ungrateful!" He spat across the table at the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

"Mr. Malfoy, the Centaurs don't want stables. I think they find it highly offensive that you are even suggesting it." The Head explained again slowly.

"They aren't stables! They're buildings in which the Centaurs can live away from the harsh conditions when winter is here." Draco argued.

"They don't see it that way Mr. Malfoy. All they see is a greedy wizard, who used to be associated with Voldemort, who wants to use their land to build a large intrusive potions lab."

Draco looked at department head blankly. That is what he wanted the land for but to be fair the potions lab was specifically to be used for St. Mungos, and he was trying to be fair by doing something for the Centaurs in return. Even though the Centaurs had never even said anything about harsh winter conditions. Ever. They had never even used their liaison office. Ever.

"If you really think that their land would be the best place for your lab you have to get them to agree. With or without the stables. That paper has to be signed, with a ministry witness signature as well, before I can file and you can have the land. Now if you will excuse me I have another meeting to attend to." The Head dismissed him, which just made him more irritated.

Draco stood and straightened his suit jacket grabbing the paper off of the desk before storming out of the office. He needed to find someone to talk some sense into these creatures. Who better than the girl whose heart bled for any and all magical creatures.

Draco needed Hermione Granger.

* * *

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and the soft sound of beeping filled her ears. She took a few deep breaths and realized that she was a hospital bed. The memories of the crash came flooding back to her and she panicked. She sat up quickly and let out a cry of pain, falling back into the pillow. Tears started flowing instantly, part from pain and part from frustration.

A nurse slid open the door and tsked her tongue at her, shaking her head. She grabbed her chart from the end of the bed and looked over it before moving over to where Hermione's IV bag was hanging.

"Don't panic dear. You were in a car accident, no serious injuries just a lot of bumps and a whole lotta bruising. I'll get you something for the pain." The nurse said.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. The nurse noticed and poured her a cup of water and brought it up to her lips so she could sip it.

"The couple that was in the cab ahead of mine. How are they?" Hermione asked as soon as the water cleared her throat.

The nurse stopped what she was doing and looked at Hermione with a sad smile on her face.

"I'm not really supposed to release that information until someone has spoken with a member or their family." She said softly. Hermione felt her chest tighten and she had to remind herself to breathe.

"They're my parents." She said.

The sad smile on the nurse's face vanished and was replaced by a look of sympathy. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut short when the door opened again and a doctor walked in.

"You're awake Miss Granger. How are you feeling?" He asked, grabbing the chart and looking at it.

Hermione couldn't answer him. She hadn't taken her eyes off the nurse who was now standing there looking uncomfortable.

"Please." She said, locking eyes with the nurse.

The doctor looked up from the chart and noticed the look on the nurse's face and the pain in Hermione's. He set the chart down and opened his mouth to ask Hermione how she was feeling again but Hermione shook her head at him.

"I just want to know how they are doing." She stated, eyes never leaving the nurse.

The nurse broke eye contact with her and looked at the doctor who had a confused look on his face.

"They were her parents." She said softly.

Hermione didn't miss the past tense phrase. She felt hot suddenly, hot and nauseous, like all the pain was boiling under her skin. The look on the doctor's face softened considerably. He move to the side of bed so he could look her in the eye.

"I'm sorry Miss Granger…but your parents didn't make it." He said.

Hermione felt like time stopped. She could hear the blood pounding in her ears. The doctor's lips kept moving but she couldn't make out what he was saying.

For the second time in twenty four hours everything went black.

* * *

Fred sat in The Leaky Cauldron at a large table by himself, waiting for the rest of the gang to show up. Harry, Ginny, Ron, Padma, George and Angelina were all supposed to be coming to meet for drinks to celebrate the fact that him and George were going to be able to open the second shop in Hogsmeade.

He waved as he saw them walk in, then groaned to himself when he saw that Katie was tagging along with Angelina. Not that he didn't like Katie, she was a sweet girl and a good friend, but that's all she was to him. A friend. He felt like ever since he had woken up she had been constantly around, George and Angelina always pushing for them to be more. He knew Katie wanted to be more, but he couldn't bring himself to even think about more than a friendship with her. Not until he had spoken to Hermione face to face about her confession.

"Hope you don't mind mate." George waggled his eyebrows at him as they started piling into the booth.

"Give it up will you? It's not going to happen." Fred responded low enough so only George could hear.

He hadn't told anyone about the fact that for a while he could hear everything that was going on around him when he was unconscious. That he could still hear them all talking. That he had silently begged for someone to notice that he was still alive. That he heard every word of Hermione's confession. He felt like it was a private thing that he wanted to share with only her before anyone else found out about it.

He scooted over, allowing everyone to fit into the booth as Tom came over to take their orders. Soon they were all laughing over butterbeers and fish and chips, and it felt good for everyone to be together again with no cares in the world.

That was , until about an hour later when a certain blonde haired man entered the pub and promptly ruined the night.

Ron was the first to notice Draco as he entered the bar. He nudged Harry in the ribs and motioned over to the door where Draco stood, surveying the pub as if looking for someone. Harry shook his head at Ron and put his arm around Ginny.

"Big deal Ron, maybe he's meeting someone for a drink. How many times do I have to tell you that he's not a bad guy anymore." Harry said.

"He's always going to be a bad guy to me. I don't know how you just up and forget everything he did and said to us in school. The things he said to Hermione!" Ron sputtered back.

At the mention of Hermione's name the table fell silent. Until Ron started voicing that Draco was making his way over to their table. All eyes turned and watched as he walked over to their table.

"Well well what do we have here? A Gryffindor reunion?" Draco drawled.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry asked, although his void held no contempt.

"I want Granger." Draco said.

Ron spit his butterbeer out while Fred choked on his. George patted Fred on the back while the girls grimaced and had to do a quick scourgify spell to clean off the spewed butterbeer. Harry narrowed his eyes at Draco and pulled his arm from around Ginny while leaning forward, resting his arms on the table in front of him.

"What do you want with Hermione?" He asked, annoyed at the smirk plastered on Draco's face that was directed towards Ron.

"I have my reasons. Was she not invited to your little get together? By the looks of it you're all paired up now, no one left for Granger? Because if that's the case I know a few Slytherins that would be more than interested." Draco laughed as Ron flew over the table at him.

He stepped back as Harry and the twins grabbed Ron and forced him to sit back down. He noticed that Ron's little outburst had put an annoyed look on the only Gryffindor at the table whose name he couldn't remember.

"Hermione left right after the war and hasn't returned since. She went to Australia to find her parents." Padma said.

Everyone at the table snapped their heads towards her and cries of "Padma be quiet" and "Bloody Hell Padma" were shouted. Draco raised his eyebrows at this and looked back to Harry.

"The war ended months ago. Surely it wouldn't have taken Granger that long to find her parents. Why were her parents even in Australia?" He asked.

Harry just stared at him for a moment, deciding whether or not to tell Draco the truth. He hadn't been on bad terms with Draco since the end of the war when he had found out that he had switched sides in their sixth year. But it didn't mean that he was ready to welcome him into their circle, and Hermione was like a sister to him, he didn't like the fact that Draco had come asking for her.

"She sent them there before the war got bad. I'm sure she's just happy to have some time with them. She'll be home when she's ready." He said slowly.

The cryptic answer wasn't lost on Draco. He narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak before closing it again. He turned to leave but then something Harry had said made him stop and turn back around.

"She'll be home when she's ready? As in you don't know when she's coming back?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

He noticed the uncomfortable looks that settled across the faces of almost everyone at the table. He looked at Ron and Ginny who looked the most uncomfortable, then back to Harry who was just glaring at him.

"No we aren't sure when she's coming home." Harry said through gritted teeth.

"So you let her wander off by herself to Australia months ago, you don't know when she's coming back and none of you have even bothered to go visit her?" Draco asked again with a laugh.

"Why would we go visit? She doesn't want anyone to go there, she hasn't even restored her parents memories last we heard." Padma said again.

Everyone turned and glared at her and Ginny mumbled a silencio spell towards the Indian girl. Draco actually let the look of surprise stay on his face as Ron and Harry looked back up at him.

"Restored their memories? Last you heard? When is the last time you even spoke to her? Aren't you guys all supposed to be best friends? Gryffindor's Golden Trio? Did you guys all start shacking up and decide that she wasn't worth being friends with anymore or what?"

This time it was Harry who stood up from the table with Ron, both glaring at Draco.

"She obliviated them before she had them leave, for their safety. She went down there to restore their memories and bring them back. She didn't want anyone going with her and she has repeated time and time again that she doesn't need anyone to go down there. I trust that she knows how to handle herself Malfoy. When she's ready to come back, she will." Harry said.

"Why do you care so much anyways ferret?" Ron asked.

Draco just stared at the pair in disbelief. Did they not have _any_ experience with girls? When a girl tells you she doesn't want you to do something, half the time they wish you did it anyways. Although Hermione Granger wasn't your typical girl, he was still surprised that the two guys were just content with letting her go and not bothering to go help her bring her parents back. If he had done something like that to his parents they would have been right pissed off.

"Granger probably would have loved some help getting her parents back here, they are probably pissed that she took their memories. Did you ever think about _that_? Did you ever think that maybe that's why she's been gone for so long? You are completely daft if you think she didn't want someone to go after her." Draco said.

"What's it to you Malfoy? Why do you even care? You don't even like Hermione." Ginny scowled up at him while reaching up to grab both Harry and Ron by the shirts and drag them back down to their seats.

"I was going to see if I could possibly enlist her help with the Centaurs but I guess if you need something done, you have to do it yourself." He said, turning and walking away.

"Did anyone else find that really weird?" Angelina asked as they all watched Draco leave the pub.

"Well he did save her during the battle, and he did switch sides. Maybe he's actually concerned about her." Katie said.

"We're all concerned about her. We have the right to be concerned, he has no right to be anything as far as Hermione goes." Fred bit at her. She lowered her eyes to the table and leaned a little into Angelina.

Katie's words kept replaying in Harry's head for the rest of the night. Draco had switched sides, and even Hermione had testified on his behalf that he saved her during the battle. He had watched the small interaction between them after the hearing. Draco had walked up to her and given her a proper thank you. She had looked shocked at first but had eventually nodded and said you're welcome.

Harry didn't think that Draco was concerned about Hermione, if he was asking for her help with Centaurs it probably had something to do with the fact that he was trying to build on their land. It was common knowledge that Malfoy was trying to build a potions lab on Centaur territory, a potions lab that was strictly to be used to benefit St. Mungos. That thought softened Harry's features a little and he came up with an alternative solution for Draco. Since Hermione wasn't here he would see if he could enlist Firenze's help.

 **The next day**

Harry looked up from his desk when a Ministry owl flew into his office with a letter attached to it's leg. He assumed it was from Malfoy, responding to the letter he had sent earlier that morning about working with Firenze instead of Hermione. He untied the letter and gave the owl a treat and a scratch on the head before watching it fly off again.

As he unfolded the letter, he noticed another letter had been wrapped inside of it. He picked up the inside letter and realized that it was the original letter he had sent to him this morning. Frowning in confusion he read the other letter that it had been wrapped in.

 **Mr. Potter-**

 **I am to inform anyone seeking Mr. Malfoy that he has gone out of town on business. If this is an emergency please do not hesitate to contact Narcissa Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy is not sure when he will be returning.**

 **Thank you**

Harry's scowl deepened. He knew Draco didn't have a lot of time to figure out his problem with the Centaurs. He wondered what other business Draco had, and out of town no less.

* * *

Hermione laid in her bed staring at the ceiling. She was wearing a simple black dress, her hair back in a bun at the nape of her neck. Her parents funeral had been earlier that morning, and she had been glad to see that so many people had turned up for it. It warmed her heart to know that her parents had made so many friends during their time there.

When asked how she had known them she had smiled politely and just said that she had known them from London, before they had moved. It had taken all she had to not break down and throw herself on their graves. She had been the first to arrive, and the last to leave, and now she laid in her apartment cursing herself for not going to them sooner.

She blamed herself, if she hadn't been selfish and indulged in the normalcy of the Muggle world, all of this could have been easily avoided. Her parents would still be alive, mad with her perhaps, but alive. It wasn't like they would have had to go back to London right away. They could have stayed there, at least for a little while.

Again, Hermione found herself cursing Voldemort's name. Everything always came back to him and the bloody war. Over the past few days she had found herself questioning why she ever had to walk into that compartment where Harry and Ron were seated on the Hogwarts express their first year? Why had she befriended Harry and destined herself to be by his side fighting against Voldemort and his followers?

But even after hours of asking herself why, she knew that she wouldn't have changed any of it if she had to live it again. No, she wouldn't trade her friendship with Harry and Ron, and none of this was Harry's fault. It was entirely her fault.

Tears started flowing down her cheeks as she got up from her bed. Slipping off her dress and taking her hair down, she turned to look at herself in the full length mirror that was the door to her closet. Silently she magicked away the glamour charms that she had placed on herself before leaving for the funeral.

Slowly her skin went from being sun kissed and unblemished to dark purple and green from the bruises that still littered her body. There was barely any skin on her face that wasn't covered in the offending bruises. Her bottom lip was still slightly swollen, and was still split from where she had bitten down on it when her head had hit against the window. The skin around one of her eyes was a dark purple still, while the other amazingly was untouched.

She moved to put on her pajamas, a light pair of cotton shorts and a cotton tank top that had been a present from her parents so many Christmases ago. They gave her body room to breath for which she was thankful. She could barely move without feeling so much physical pain.

She grabbed the bottle of fire whiskey that was by her bed, next to the untouched bottle of pain medication that the doctor had given her. She was punishing herself and she knew it. But the physical pain couldn't compare to the emotional pain she was feeling.

Walking into the kitchen, she grabbed a glass and poured herself a drink while moving to sit down on the couch. She laid her head back staring at the ceiling again, and brought the bottle to her lips, forgetting the glass on the coffee table.

A sudden knock on the door startled her and she jerked her head up, forcing the bottle away from her lips, spilling some of the fire whiskey down her chin. She rubbed her face against her arm and stared at the door wondering if she had imagined the knock at the door. She had kept telling Harry that she didn't want him to come here, but she could really use a friend right now, it couldn't have been better timing.

When she heard the knock again she rushed to her feet and headed towards the door, tears rising to her eyes. Someone had come for her! Harry, Ron, Ginny, someone. She threw open the door and grey eyes met amber ones. Her breath caught in her throat. She felt like she couldn't breathe and the blood pounding in her ears got louder as she watched the grey eyes sweep over her body, widening in surprise as they took in her split lip and all of her bruises.

"Bloody hell Granger. What in Merlin's name happened to you?"

For the third time in the past four days…everything went black.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Pretty pretty please review? The amount of hits the first chapter got was phenomenal but there were only a handful of reviews. I would really love to know what you guys are thinking.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you so much for all of the support for the story so far! Thank you to yunaxxshadow, Sutefanii uchiha, livingdeadchic1105, daniiibabiii, ayuzachan, Onyx Obsidian, sammy sosa the 13th, PoppyEmma, junebloomsjulyflies, dragonjun, turtleoutofwater, corie.f, Cmnewman, Gabriella Somerfield, , Bluebird10, GryffindorGirl1415, Gemini-rose16, greyc, Midnight Conversations, Jenifael09, , Bloodydiadem, d3d, KaTee19, wbm92, rinmagic2, .3, miss-glitz, Libertad-Latina, blackcat486, yuuko31210, blondekellycrazy, Enzeru no Yami, maraudersanarchy, Dorkette10980, sonnetStar, Rage of Raven, greencac000, fefetwimom, and EscapedMinds, jclay91190 for following the story!

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Thank you to daniiibabiii, Onyx Obsidian, , starlite22, IGOTEAMEDWARD, Bloodydiadem, Raven that flies at night, blondekellycrazy, .3, JuliSt, all guests, fefetwimom, I was BOTWP, TheDarkLadyofSlytherin, southernyankee90, and xFlip Jamsx for reviewing.

Special thank you to Slytherin2616, berd2411, gthufflerunner, fefetwimom, greencac000, and .3 for adding me to your favorite authors or authors you are following lists. It means the world to me.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own anything

* * *

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she sat straight up in her bed clutching the covers to her chest. Breathing hard, she ran a hand through her hair, the memory of those familiar grey eyes fading away. She fell back against the pillows at the head of her bed and sighed.

"It was just a dream." She whispered.

"Dream about me often Granger?" A familiar voice drawled from the side of her bed.

She screamed and jumped back out of the bed, wincing in pain as she grabbed her wand from her nightstand and pointed it in the direction the voice had come from. She was startled to find Draco sitting in the armchair in the corner of her room, Crookshanks curled up on his lap.

"What are you doing here Malfoy?" She spat at him.

"Curiosity. I happened to run into your little gang of Gryffindors and found out that you had run off right after the war. Imagine my surprise to see that you ditched fame and fortune for this." He said, gesturing with his hand to her body littered in bruises. His other hand was stroking Crookshanks and she scowled at the cat.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe you're here out of curiosity? What are you doing in my flat?" She asked, lowering her wand just a little bit.

"Well since you so charmingly decided to faint at the mere sight of me I couldn't very well just leave you in your entryway now could I? You're pet here was so kind as to show me where your bedroom was. Now why don't you put on some robes and we can discuss why you're hiding out here and covered in bruises." Draco stood from the chair, forcing Crookshanks to jump to the ground where he just sat and stared up at him.

He walked out of her bedroom, giving her privacy to change, since she was still wearing her pajamas. She blushed at this realization and turned to grab the black dress that was still laying on the floor from where she had taken it off earlier. She quickly pulled it on and slipped her wand into the inside pocket she had put in herself.

She walked out into the kitchen to see Draco filling her tea kettle with water, she leaned against the entry frame watching as he put it on the stove and tried to light the fire with his wand. She gave a little smile at his frown of frustration when it didn't work.

"It doesn't work that way." She said, walking over and turning the dial on the stovetop. Draco watched as the coil turned red and she moved the kettle onto it.

"Muggles always have to make everything so hard." He said with a frown.

"Care to finally explain to me why you are here?" She crossed her arms and went to sit at the kitchen table. He moved with her, sitting opposite of her and mimicked her crossing his own arms.

"Care to explain why you look like a troll used you as a punching bag?" He shot back.

They stared at each other over the table, both scowling at the other, until the kettle sounded that the tea was ready. Hermione stood up and took the kettle off the coil and turned the dial.

"Cream and sugar?" She asked.

"Neither. I like it strong and bitter." He said.

"Like your soul." She whispered, putting everything on a tray to bring to the table.

"I heard that." He muttered. He took his cup off the tray and watched as she put a cube of sugar and poured a small amount of cream into her tea.

"I came here because I need your help." Draco broke the silence. Hermione lifted an eyebrow at him.

"What could you possibly need my help for?" She asked.

"I'm building a potions lab for St. Mungos. The land I need to build the lab on just happens to be Centaur territory. I've offered to also build them winter shelters, in return for letting me use the land for the lab, but they won't even so much as speak with me. The Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is telling me that I can't start building unless the Centaurs have signed off on the paperwork." Draco explained like it was the most irritating thing in the world.

"So you need my help for what exactly?" Hermione asked.

"I need you to talk to the blasted creatures! That's always been your thing hasn't it? Your heart bleeds for all the magical creatures of the world. So I need you to go talk some sense into them."

"What makes you think I would help you? Why do you think I'll be able to talk them into letting you build on their land? They don't exactly have a good history with Death Eaters Malfoy."

"You know that I changed sides. You yourself testified on my behalf. Or don't you remember that?" Draco narrowed his eyes at her and clenched his teeth together.

Hermione lowered her eyes and felt ashamed of herself. Old habits die hard.

"Why do you need their land? Why not build the lab somewhere else?" She asked.

"This particular area of land just happens to be rich in all sorts of ingredients. There are other places we could build but then we would have to spending even more time collecting ingredients in bulk. The purpose of the lab is to make the potions that can't be stored away for later use. Potions that are needed right away and can be brewed quickly." He explained.

Hermione took in all of the information he was giving her and rolled it around in her mind. The lab actually seemed like a brilliant idea, and she knew that the Centaurs could be difficult when they wanted to be. Maybe if she spoke to Firenze though and got his support, the rest of the Centaurs might not fight it anymore.

"I can possibly send out a letter to a friend of mine. I can't promise you anything though." She said after a few moments.

"No I need you to go there and physically talk to them. No one is going to believe that Hermione Granger is fighting on my behalf just from a letter. Come on Granger, why not just restore your parents memories already and get on back to London?"

He didn't miss the way she froze the second he mentioned her parents. Her grip on her cup tightened and she looked visibly shaken. He raised an eyebrow at her and leaned back in his chair.

"Do your parents have something to do with why you look the way you do?" He asked her softly.

Hermione felt like she couldn't breathe. She felt the tears well up in her eyes and she couldn't bring herself to look up at him. She reached up to wipe her tears away but more just kept coming.

"They're dead." She whispered through her tears. It was the first time she had said it out loud since the accident.

"There was a car accident. The cab they were in was hit by a truck. I didn't even get a chance to restore their memories. They died not even knowing who I was."

Draco didn't know what to say as he watched her cry across the table from him. He suddenly felt uncomfortable that he had just barged in when she was so very obviously grieving. That would explain the bottle of fire whiskey that was almost gone in her living room.

He watched as she continued to cry, laying her head on her arms on the table. He had only ever seen two women cry his entire life, Pansy and his Mother. Pansy had given him no choice but to console her, although he had been complete rubbish at it. He basically just held her while she cried and babbled on about something Marcus had done at the time to upset her.

He had only seen his Mother cry a handful of times, and they had all been when she thought no one was around. He had never known whether to go to her and try and comfort her. Growing up there had never been a lot of comfort in his house. Lucius had never allowed Narcissa to comfort him, and when she was upset he never comforted her. The only comfort that he had ever known was from his Mother when his Father wasn't around.

Now here he was sitting across from Hermione Granger, watching as she broke down over the death of her parents, and he had no idea what to do. So he did the only thing he could think of, he stood up and walked out of her flat.

Hermione lifted her head from the table. It wasn't as if she had expected him to comfort her, after all he was still Malfoy and she was still herself. She walked back into the bedroom and curled up on her bed again. Crookshanks jumped up and rubbed his face against her hand.

"Traitor. Out of everyone you could choose to be nice to its him?" She sniffled, pulling him to her.

She would have much rather it had been Harry or Ron, part of her had even hoped that it had been Fred who had shown up at her door. But at least Draco Malfoy was a face she knew.

He would be back, she was sure of it. He needed something from her and he may give her time to cry and grieve, but he would be back. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little grateful for a familiar face right now.

* * *

A week later Hermione stuck her head out of her bedroom when she heard a knock at her door. She had an idea of who it might be, and Crookshanks running to the door was a pretty good confirmation of her guess. She opened the door and sure enough Draco was standing there again.

"Is London so boring you'd rather chat with a Mudblood across the world twice in one week?" She asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Come off it Granger I haven't used that word in years. All that blood purity bollocks is just that, nonsense, and for the record I never went back to London." He shrugged and mimicked her by leaning against the hallway wall.

She raised an eyebrow at him and stepped back to allow him to walk inside the flat. As he passed her he noticed that most of her bruising was now gone. Faded green and yellow where the dark purple and red had been.

"You look loads better. Although since you haven't really left your flat I guess you've just been sitting here all week doing nothing. Aren't you bored?" He asked her.

"Why are you here Malfoy…and how do you know I haven't left my flat?! Have you been spying on me?" She huffed at him.

"Merely watching for the right time to come back."

"It's been a week surely you could have figured out something else for your problem by now?"

"I'm a Malfoy and Malfoy's have standards. I want the job done by the best, I happen to think you fit the bill for the job. Besides, I'm sure it's a relief to see a familiar face seeing as how none of your friends have come for you. Do they even know what happened?" He asked her.

"What do you care? If you wanted my help that badly you could have just sent owls, why stay and watch me all week?" She questioned back.

"Because I'm not as cold and heartless as you think I am, and if any of my friends had done what you did you can guarantee that I would have gone after them, regardless if they were telling me not to." He turned and raised his voice at her.

She looked at him with a wide eyed expression for a few moments until Crookshanks meowed loudly between them, breaking the silence. She sputtered as he bent down to pick him up and set him in his lap as he sat at kitchen table. She narrowed her eyes as her furry companion settled into his lap and purred loudly while he scratched his head.

"My friends have respected my wishes that they not come." She said, her voice less harsh than she had intended.

"You've been gone for months Granger, someone should've come to check on you. There was obviously a reason you stayed away for so long. Don't tell me you didn't wish it was one of them on the other side of that door when I came here last week. Maybe you don't want to admit it, maybe it's just your way of dealing with things, but I couldn't in good conscious just up and leave. Besides, I plan on getting you back there to deal with this problem for me." He said.

"What makes you think I am to go back just to help you?" She asked haughtily. He laughed at her and got back up from his seat, much to Crookshanks disappointment.

"I'm starving, and you _have_ to be hungry. I don't think I've seen you leave all week for food." He said, moving to the door. Hermione just stood there and stared as he opened up the door and paused, looking back at her.

"Are you coming?" He asked.

She didn't know whether or not she trusted going anywhere with him, but she did have her wand, and she was hungry. She had been running low on groceries, and she did need to pick up some food for Crookshanks, food she could only get at a certain wizarding shop. The thought put a smirk on her face, one that made Draco's falter.

"Lunch at a Muggle café, one my parents used to frequent. Then afterwards you have to go pick up Crookshanks' food while I get groceries." She said, walking past him out the door. He looked at her with a confused expression.

"Why do I have to get your cat's food?" He asked, shutting the door and following her. She paused for a moment and turned her head to the side to answer him.

"Because I don't like going into that part of the city without disguising myself. I don't like being splashed on the front page of the papers, I don't care about the fame of being a war hero. I just want to be normal. Besides, if you want to convince me to help you, that would be a good start."

Draco just rolled his eyes and followed after her, his trademark smirk finding its way back to his face as he shook his head.

* * *

Draco watched as Hermione gingerly picked at her salad from across the table. She had seemed fine up until the moment they had arrived at the café. She had paused before going in and had just stared at a table across the room from where they were sitting now. He had given her a few moments before opening the door and ushering her inside.

"So who is this friend that you were thinking of sending a letter to?" He tried making conversation. It seemed to snap her out of her trance and she looked up to meet his eyes.

"Firenze, he was the Divination Professor that took over when Umbridge sacked Trelawney."

"The Centaur?" He asked, raising his eyebrow at her. She nodded back at him.

"Yes he's the one. His colony accepted him back after the battle at Hogwarts. He actually rose through the ranks pretty quickly and is considered high up on their council."

"And you think that he can convince them to let me use the land to build on?" Draco asked.

"I can talk to him about the benefits of having the lab on their land. He will take what I propose back to the council and see what they say but honestly, Centaurs don't like humans much, and they like dark wizards less. I know that you switched sides and all but convincing them to do business with you is going to be hard Malfoy."

"Well do you think you could get a move on it Granger? I only have until the end of the month to get these papers signed. After that the contract with St. Mungos will be void and I'll have to start all over." Draco said, very obviously agitated.

"I told you I would send out a letter. I'm not…I'm not ready to go back yet." She said softly.

"Granger I get why you wanted to be here before but all you're doing now is making things harder on yourself. It's ridiculous, so stop acting like a bloody coward and come back home!" Draco's voice raised a little louder than he had intended, and while Hermione stared at him with wide eyes, their waiter came over with a scowl on his face.

"Miss Granger is everything alright?" He asked, never removing his disapproving stare from Draco.

Hermione nodded and gave him money for their bill, much to Draco's disapproval, but another scowl from an older lady at a table nearby made him shut his mouth. Hermione smirked as she stood up from their table.

"Be careful Malfoy, it's almost beginning to sound like you actually care. Oh, and don't forget Crookshanks' food."

Draco watched incredulously as she walked away from him and out of the café. He didn't take his eyes off of her even when the waiter came back over to the table to start cleaning it.

"You know Miss Granger has been a regular here every week for a few months now, I've never seen her bring anyone in here." He said.

Draco turned to scowl at the man and was annoyed when his scowl didn't seem to deter the man from continuing to speak.

"She's something special that one is. You're a lucky man."

Draco rolled his eyes as he got up from the table.

"She's special alright, a special pain in my arse." He muttered under his breath.

 **Later that night**

Hermione smirked when she heard a knock at her door. She leaned down to scoop up Crookshanks who had been sitting by her feet while she cooked in the kitchen. She brushed a stray curl out of her eyes that had escaped her messy bun at the top of her head and then wiped her hand on the apron that she was wearing.

She opened the door to see Draco standing there holding out a bag full of canned cat food. She opened the door wider and motioned for him to come in.

"I'm just dropping off the food for the ball of fluff." He said.

Crookshanks squirmed in her arms until she set him down and he promptly started rubbing against Draco's legs. Hermione watched as Draco leaned down and scratched behind his ears before pulling a treat that looked like a kneazlenip mouse out of his suit jacket and giving it to him. Crookshanks turned and disappeared into the bedroom with his treat and Hermione laughed.

"I'm pretty sure he's going to leave me for you." She said. Draco stood back up and gave her a blank stare, obviously trying to conceal a smirk.

"What?" She asked.

"You have something on your forehead." He said, bringing his hand up to point to his own forehead.

Hermione blushed and reached up to wipe away whatever was there. When she looked at her hand she realized it was tomato sauce.

"I was cooking dinner. I figured you would be eating so I set out a plate for you." She said.

Draco didn't know why but all of a sudden he felt uncomfortable. It was just dinner, that she had cooked, expecting him to join her. There was something about it that just seemed too friendly, and they weren't exactly friends. But there was a small voice in the back of his head that just had to voice it's opinion.

 _If you aren't friends then what are you still doing here trying to get her to come back? She could send a letter to Firenze and deal with it just fine from here. Just admit it there's a small part of you that feels bad for her and you don't want to leave her alone._

Draco shook his head and took a step back, earning a confused look from Hermione.

"I uh, actually already have plans, so dinner won't be necessary." He said, turning to leave.

"You have plans? I didn't know you knew anyone here." Hermione said.

"Not everyone has to be a recluse like you Granger." He said, the words coming out much harsher than he meant it.

Had he turned back he would have caught the look of hurt that flashed across her face as she stood alone in her doorway.

* * *

It was three days before Draco had the nerve to go back to her flat. He hadn't meant for it to be so long, but he had gotten caught up with work one of the days, and spent the other two fighting internally with himself about the road he was going down dealing with Hermione.

Eventually he decided that if he was going to stay because he felt bad that she was dealing with all of this alone, then he should probably actually be around her. That's what friends did right? But did he want to be her friend? Or did he just want her to get the Centaurs to agree to let him build, then be done with her? The old Draco would have just used her to get what he wanted, but since he had changed sides during the war he was a new man, a man who wouldn't use a grieving woman to get what he wanted.

He frowned as he stood outside waiting for her to open the door, he could hear Crookshanks on the other side meowing loudly at his arrival. He raised an eyebrow as he heard Hermione yell for her cat to stop meowing, but other than that he heard no other sounds of her coming to open the door.

"Granger open up!" He yelled, leaning against the doorway.

"Go away!" He heard her yell back, from the sounds of it she was yelling from her bedroom.

He frowned and reached down to open the door. When he found it locked he pulled out his wand and did a quick alohomora and walked in. Crookshanks immediately began rubbing against his legs and he bent down to pick up the cat then walked towards Hermione's bedroom.

"Granger what are you doing in bed still? It's six in the evening." He said, as he entered without her permission.

She was lying on her bed, a bottle of fire whiskey on her nightstand, head underneath a pillow.

"Granger? What the hell are you doing?" He repeated.

"Go away Malfoy." He heard her mumble from under the pillow.

He set Crookshanks on the foot of the bed and reached up to grab the pillow and toss is across the room.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! Get out!" She yelled, not bothering to look at him she turned her head to the side and grabbed another pillow.

He grabbed that one out of her hands and tossed it across the room to land with the other one. This time she did turn her head to look up at him and glared. His frown didn't falter, if anything he scowled even deeper at her.

"You look like shit Granger. This room reeks of fire whiskey, you reek of fire whiskey. Get up and take a shower." He demanded, grabbing her by the arm and hauling her up off of the bed.

"Get off of me! Why are you here? What the hell do you care Malfoy?" She ripped her arm away from him and stumbled away from him in the direction of the bathroom.

"Don't mistake me being a decent human being for caring Granger. Now get in the shower, take a pepper up potion, and get ready." He followed behind her.

"Of course the great Draco Malfoy doesn't care about anything but himself. Why do I have to get ready? Where are we going?" She asked, looking at him curiously.

"You obviously haven't eaten in what looks like days, so we're going to get you dinner, then we're going to talk about the proposal you are going to come up with for the lab."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him and shut the door to the bathroom. He heard the water turn on and he looked down at Crookshanks who was sitting at his feet, staring up at him.

"Have you not eaten for a few days as well? Or does she just neglect herself?" He asked, leaning down to scratch him behind the ears.

He walked towards the kitchen and put some cat food in a bowl and set it on the ground. Crookshanks sniffed the food before sitting down in front of the bowl and looking up at him. Draco motioned for the cat to eat but Crookshanks never broke eye contact so he just shook his head and sat at the kitchen table, waiting for Hermione to be done.

About fifteen minutes later he heard the door to the bathroom open and looked up to see Hermione walk into the kitchen. His breath caught in his throat and he looked down at the table before she caught him staring.

She had cast a quick drying spell on her hair making it fall in soft waves around her face. She was wearing a white sundress and applied some mascara and a soft red lipstick. It was the first time he had seen her in a dress since the Yule Ball their fourth year.

"We're staying on the Muggle side of town." She said, reaching for a can of cat food.

"I already fed him and what is your obsession with Muggle food?" He asked, standing from the table, looking anywhere but right at her.

"I'm a Muggle. I like Muggle food. I also told you I don't want to be recognized." She turned towards him and pointed to herself.

Draco rolled his eyes and turned to look at her. He started and took a few steps back when he realized how close they were.

"What? You don't want your friends knowing that I'm here? Afraid someone might spot us together and it will splashed across the papers in London? It might do your image some good Granger, seeing as how the rest of your gang all paired up, seems you'll be the only single one when you get home."

He followed her as she moved to open the door and walk out of the flat. Trailing behind her he could still smell the faint smell of the fire whiskey she had been drinking, clearly she hadn't taken the pepper up potion.

"Even Weasley's twin brothers seemed to catch themselves some birds. Doesn't it get tiring being the third wheel?" He kept going.

If he hadn't caught himself he would have walked into the back of her as she froze at his words.

"George and…Fred?" She asked in a small voice.

"Sure whatever their names are, dating the two girls they played Quidditch with, saw them all at the pub together." Draco drawled, stepping around her and leading the way out of the building.

"So he really is with Katie." Hermione whispered in a small voice.

"What was that?" Draco asked, turning to look at her.

Her eyes darkened and she shook her head at him. He gave her a funny look before resuming leading the way to a small bar that was about a fifteen minute walk from her flat.

The rest of the way had been walked in silence and when they walked into the place Hermione headed straight to the bartender. Just as she was about to open her mouth and request a drink she felt Draco grab her by the elbow and lead her away from the bar and over to a table. She glared at him as they took their seats.

"You are going to eat something before drinking anything else. Got it?" He said.

"What are you my Dad?" She shot back at him with a smirk on her face.

He watched as the smirk dropped off her face just as quick as she put it up. Her eyes widened in shock at her own bad joke and then the flash of hurt settled in. He looked at her with sympathy as the waitress came over to get their order.

"Two burgers with fries and two fire whiskey's, in fact you should probably just bring the whole bottle." He told the blonde girl who looked at him funny.

"You mean fireball mister?" She asked. Draco rolled his eyes at her and pulled out his wallet.

"Yes that's what I meant. Keep it coming all night, this is for you, this is for the bartender. Just point me out to him and he'll give you the bottles." He said, handing her a wad of cash.

Hermione watched the exchange with interest and raised her eyebrow at him when the waitress walked away.

"Obsessed with Muggles much?" She asked.

"So I might have come here a few times since I've been here." He drawled, leaning back in his chair.

"Seems I'm not the only one who doesn't want to be seen." She smirked at him, leaning back in her chair as well.

"You caught me. The last thing I need is for Potter and Weasley to come marching in here like knights in shining armor trying to save you from big bad ol' me. Then again since they haven't bothered to come at all in the last few months who knows what it would take to actually get them here."

"That's not fair. I asked them not to come, I told you that. They don't know what happened with my parents."

"Why is that Granger?" He asked as the blonde brought them a bottle of fireball and two shot glasses.

"Thank you." Hermione smiled at the waitress. "It's because everyone has their own things to deal with right now, I wanted to deal with this on my own and I said I would go back when I was ready."

"Well you better be ready soon cause I have a deadline to make." Draco said as he poured them each a shot.

"Always thinking about yourself aren't you?" She sighed as she took her shot and downed it.

"Hold your horses there Granger. It's rude to take your shot before the other person." He said, pouring her another one. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Forgive me oh mighty one." She quipped as she took the glass from him.

"To new partnerships." He said, raising his glass to her.

"You don't need me for much so to short partnerships." She raised hers back before downing it again.

"I've been thinking about that Granger, what exactly are you going to do once your back? Have you given any thought on where you would live or what you're going to do for a job?" He asked, filling their glasses again.

He kept them both on his side of the table this time and batted her hand away when she reached for hers.

"Eat first." He said simply, earning another eye roll from her.

"I don't know what I'm going to do when I go back. I'll probably work for the Ministry doing something meaningful for magical creatures." She said.

The waitress came back over and placed their food in front of them. Hermione picked up a fry and ate it slowly as Draco shoveled his burger into his mouth.

"Predictable. Tell me Granger is there anything you do that's surprising?"

"I've been missing from London for months, I changed my appearance, I drink like a fish now and I'm sitting here having dinner with you." She said, cutting her burger in half.

"All typical and predictable. Things that were bound to happen sooner or later given the circumstances." He said, finishing off his burger.

"Someone was hungry, and regardless of the circumstances I could still drink you under the table. That's something I'm rather good at." She said.

"Drink me under the table?" He scoffed at her.

"I'll bet I last a lot longer than you do." She finished her half of her burger and pushed the plate to the side of the table. He watched the action and shook his head at her.

"Eat the rest of that and you're on."

"But that would be predictable wouldn't it?" She smirked at him, pushing the plate further away.

He narrowed his eyes at her and smirked back, pushing his plate off to the side as well.

"You're on." He said, giving her shot glass back and setting the bottle between them.

 **Three hours later**

"So really you're the one Weasley can thank for Weasley is our King!" Draco laughed so hard he started coughing. He reached for his glass and downed another shot then reached for the last of the second bottle they had gone through.

"No that was all you! Harry wouldn't have put up with Cormac's attitude anyways, I did him a favor by using the Confundus charm on him! Saved him the embarrassment of getting kicked off the team!" Hermione laughed back.

They ignored the funny look the waitress gave them as she brought another bottle over and took the empty one away. Hermione reached for it and began pouring more shots.

"A little embarrassment is what that bloke needs. Lost an arm in the war and he still thinks he's Merlin's gift to women everywhere." Draco said, taking another shot.

"Don't poke fun at him Malfoy, losing an arm has got to be really hard. It was his wand hand too, I'll bet he's rubbish at performing magic now." Hermione said sympathetically.

"Ugh don't feel sorry for him Granger. Didn't he start a rumor about the two of you once? What was it? Snogging under the mistletoe?" Draco asked.

Hermione grew red and took two shots in a row.

"You mean that was true?!" Draco burst into a fit of laughs.

"Shut it! He was completely horrible at it!" Hermione laughed.

Draco watched her from across the table, laughing and seeming like she was having a good time. He watched as the dim light played across her face, highlighting her eyes. A stray wavy curl kept falling into her face and his fingers kept itching to push it out of her eyes. He just chalked it up to all the alcohol, but he had to admit, she had become very pretty.

"Anyways what about all the rumors of you and Pansy at school?" Hermione shot at him.

"None of those were true! Pansy is one of my best friends but we never, and I mean never, have done anything outside of the occasional snog!" He said.

"Ugh she's such a wretched person." Hermione mumbled, taking another shot.

"Hey that's my friend you're talking about." Draco said, also taking another shot.

"Speaking of friends and rumors, is it true what they say about Blaise Zabini?" Hermione asked slyly.

"Oh Merlin what do they say?"

"Is he a poof?" Hermione asked, leaning forward to whisper her question.

Draco stared at her incredulously before bursting into laughter and taking another shot.

"No! I can't believe people were saying that about him! For the better part of sixth year he fancied you as a matter of fact!" Draco said between laughs.

"ME?" Hermione shouted.

He watched as a small blush formed on her face and frowned that the thought of Blaise fancying her made her react that way. He poured another shot for them both.

"I thought all you Slytherins hated us Gryffindor's?" She asked, taking the shot in sync with him.

"No one really cared about all that bullocks during sixth year." He said.

Hermione studied him for a moment as he poured them another round of shots. Sure Draco had always been good looking, but there was something about the way he was just sitting across from her nonchalantly as if it were the most normal thing in the world, that had her thinking he was downright handsome. His hair had fallen out of its normal gelled style and was hanging in his eyes on one side. She felt herself growing warm as she realized that he was staring at her.

"And now?" She asked softly.

"It's all in the past now. None of that stuff matters anymore." He said. He slid another shot over to her while motioning for the waitress to bring the check.

"I'll give you this Granger, you might not have been able to drink me under the table but you sure as hell can drink." He laughed. She smirked and took the last shot from the bottle.

"Who says we have to be finished? There's plenty more where that came from back at my flat." She said.

"Well lead the way then Granger. I'm sure your cat misses me by now." Draco joked, setting money on the table and standing up.

Hermione stood as well and swayed a bit on her feet. Draco grabbed her arm and steadied her, pulling her ahead of him as they headed for the door. They walked back to her flat in comfortable silence until they got to her building. As they got into the elevator, Draco turned to her and smirked.

"You know you're still predictable Granger. I don't think there's anything you would do that would honestly be that surprising." He said as the elevator dinged and they stepped out onto her floor.

"Oh Merlin Malfoy what's it going to take to get you off that? Calling you Draco?" She teased.

He paused momentarily when she said his name. He liked the way it sounded rolling off of her lips. Lips that looked full and red and in desperate need of attention.

"Again, something predictable, to do in order to try and surprise me."

She opened the door to her flat and walked into the kitchen, pulling her wand from the inside pocket of her dress and placing it on the kitchen table. She turned and watched as he shut the door and leaned down to scratch Crookshanks, who had been waiting at the door for them. He stood, eyes catching hers, and walked towards her into the kitchen.

"I believe there was another bottle of fire whiskey-" He was cut off as she leaned forward and placed her lips on his. He froze and she pulled away before he could even register what had happened.

"How's that for surprise?" She smirked at him and turned away to find the bottle.

There was never a time in his life where Draco hadn't skillfully thought out any move he had ever made. Whether it came to life, work, or even women, he knew what he was getting himself into at all times and knew what would come of his actions. This was not one of those times, for the first time in his life Draco acted completely on impulse.

He moved forward quicker than his mind could comprehend, and pinned her against the kitchen counter, the front of him pressed against her back. She gave out a gasp of surprise and he reached down and grabbed her chin, moving her head up and to the side so he could connect his lips to hers.

He allowed her to turn so that she was facing him, moving his hand to curl up into her hair while the other grabbed her waist and pulled her hips into him. Their kiss was heated and feverish, all lips and tongues battling for dominance.

Her hands moved to the buttons on his shirt, working their way down button by button until she was able to push it off his shoulders. He moved his lips down the side of her face to her neck and she leaned her head to the side to allow him better access.

He nipped at her neck with his teeth, earning him a small moan that made his cock twitch, growing harder against his pants. He grabbed the tops of her thighs and lifted her to sit on the kitchen counter as she wrapped her legs around him, drawing him closer to her. He kissed his way down her neck and shoved one strap of her dress down, exposing her ample breast which he readily took into his mouth. She shivered and arched her back, her hand going to tangle in his hair. He moved to the other breast, giving it attention before working his way back up her body.

He moved back, startled when she pushed herself off the counter, pushing him back from her. They stared at each other for a few moments before she reached up and ever so slowly removed her arms from her dress, letting it slip down her body. She grinned as she watched his eyes move from her face all the way down her body and back again, sucking in a breath.

"Fuck Granger." He said.

She slowly stepped out of her dress, clad in only a pair of white lace boy short cheekies, and walked towards him. She reached for his belt and slowly began undoing it, looking up at him through her thick curled lashes.

"That's exactly what you're going to do." She whispered.

The way he was looking at her made her feel empowered, like she was the only woman on earth who could make him feel the way he was feeling in that moment. She grinned as she finished undoing his belt and the button on his slacks and she pushed them to the floor, never breaking eye contact with him. She slid back up his body slowly, and brought her lips back up to his, taking his bottom lip between her teeth and gently pulling.

Draco grabbed her around her thighs again and lifted her against his body, groaning as she wrapped her legs around his waist for the second time in five minutes. He walked her out of the kitchen and to her bedroom, dropping her on the bed and climbing on top of her, never breaking their kiss.

He pressed his lower body into hers and grinned when she moaned into his lips. He reached down and slowly danced his fingers down her body as his lips moved downwards to kiss at her breasts again. She shivered when he ran his fingers over the lace covering her heat. She bucked her hips up towards him, silently begging him to caress her.

He slipped his hand into the top of her underwear and ran a finger over her slick entrance. She threw her head back in pleasure as he slipped one finger in, then two, curling them against the inside of her.

"So wet for me Granger. So fucking wet." He murmured against her neck.

"Please…Malfoy." She panted his name as he moved his fingers quicker in and out of her, his thumb rubbing gently circles over her sensitive spot.

"Tell me what you want." He brought his head up and looked into her eyes, slowing his fingers down.

He enjoyed it as he watched her squirm around, closing her eyes and clenching her fists in the bedsheets.

"You know what I want." She said between clenched teeth, glaring up at him.

"I want to hear you say it." He smirked, drawing his fingers out of her. She gave a little sound of disappointment and it was music to his ears.

Suddenly she propped herself up on her elbows and caught his lips between hers again, sucking at his bottom lip and nibbling on it with her teeth. She bucked her hips into his again and reached down to cup his length that was still nestled in his briefs. She rubbed her hand along him and he dropped his head to her shoulder and groaned. She moved her head against him and nuzzled his neck before bringing her lips up to his ear.

"I want you inside of me…Draco." She whispered.

That was all it took to completely undo him. He grabbed her underwear and yanked it down her legs before disposing of his own and he was on top of her again in seconds, his length positioned at her opening. He paused for a moment and opened his mouth to ask if he was sure, but before he could even get the words out she had pushed her hips up and enveloped him fully.

He move slowly at first but moments later he was thrusting into her over and over again, filling her completely, relishing in the sounds of his name falling from her lips. His name had never sounded so good coming out of a woman's mouth. He leaned forward and captured her lips with his again, his fingers bruising her hips as he pulled her to him each time he thrust. She matched every move he made, arching her back to allow him to go as deep into her as he could possibly go. She shuttered as she felt the warmth that was coiling in her lower stomach start to spread and her breathing quickened.

Sensing that she was close, Draco started to rock into her, not drawing himself out all the way so that he was rubbing against her and creating friction that caused her to rake her fingers down his back, leaving red marks. He sucked in a breath as he felt himself nearing his release.

His eyes flew open when he felt her fingers wrap around and cup his balls, giving a gentle squeeze. She was smirking up at him and biting her bottom lip and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She cried out as they came together, her walls milking his release, her given name falling from his lips for the first time ever.

They lay there for a few moments, foreheads pressed together, breathing heavily. His lips moving softly against hers. He finally pulled out of her and rolled over onto his side, smirking at her.

"You win Granger. Consider me surprised."

Who knew Hermione Granger could be that sexy? Suddenly Draco found himself wondering just who else had been able to see her come so completely undone as he just had. The thought bothered him, and there was that uncomfortable feeling again.

Before she could make any rationalization out of what had just happened he was off the bed and walking back into the kitchen. When she heard the sound of the door closing as he left, she didn't even try and stop him.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** The site isn't letting me post the chapter in its entirety so there will be another following right after this. Has anyone else experienced this problem? This chapter was originally 28 pages long. Is there a cutoff or something?


	4. Chapter 4

**(Continuation of the last chapter since the site won't let me post the whole thing)**

* * *

The next morning Hermione awoke to the sound of Crookshanks purring loudly in her ear. She yawned and stretched, reaching out to scratch him on the head, when sounds coming from her kitchen startled her. She frowned and got up quickly, pulling on a lilac nightgown and looking for her wand.

She froze when the events of last night came rushing back to her and she realized that in the haze of it all, she had left her wand in the kitchen. She opened her bedroom door as quietly as she could and tip toed down the hall, peeking her head around the corner to see Draco freshly showered and dressed and making tea in her kitchen. She leaned against the frame of the entrance and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Morning sunshine, or should I say afternoon since it's nearly two." He said loudly.

She winced and brought a hand to her temple, glaring at him. She moved over to the table where there was a pepper up potion waiting, and sat down after downing it in one gulp.

"What are you doing?" She asked him, laying her head in her arms, waiting for the potion to take effect.

"What's it look like? I'm making tea and toast." He said like it was the most normal thing in the world for him to be in her kitchen making her breakfast.

He placed a cup of tea in front of her and she watched as he poured cream into it and dropped in a small cube of sugar.

"Thank you." She whispered. She watched as he moved around her kitchen, and the memory of the night before kept flashing in her mind.

"Should we talk? You know about what happened last night?" She asked timidly, looking into her tea.

"We had sex Granger. We're both grown adults, we were both consenting, it happened it's over there's nothing to talk about." Draco said, shrugging his shoulders.

She felt a small sting of disappointment but nodded her head anyways and took a piece of toast that he had set on the table. She looked anywhere but at him once he sat down across from her.

He watched as she avoided his eyes. The fact that their tryst started right here in the kitchen probably wasn't helping her cope with what had happened, but he didn't want to talk about it. Talking about it made him remember the things he had felt last night. The way she felt underneath him, the way his name sounded on her lips, the fact that he had thought she was the most beautiful thing on earth as she came beneath him.

The fact that he wanted it to happen again.

It was Hermione Granger for Merlin's sake! Best friend to Harry Potter, Gryffindor Princess, know it all war heroine. He had barely spent a few days with her but she had him bewitched. It was utter nonsense. If he didn't need her help with work he would have been back in London by now making sure he never saw her again. But what bothered Draco the most was the way he felt when he was around her, of all the women that could have piqued his interest, it just had to be Hermione fucking Granger.

"I wanted to go over some of the proposal for the Centaurs. I'll be rather wrapped up in calls and paperwork for the next two days, I'm running out of time so it would be nice to get this all figured out." Draco said brusquely.

"Okay." Hermione responded slowly, nodding her head.

So that was how they spent the rest of the afternoon. A few hours later found Hermione wrapped up in a blanket on her couch watching a movie on the television, Crookshanks purring loudly from his place along the top of the couch. Draco had left earlier, and Hermione was having trouble focusing on anything but the memories of last night.

She had slept with Draco fucking Malfoy. Of all the people she had to go and get drunk with it had to be him. They hadn't been friends before so it wasn't like it would ruin their friendship, if that was even what you wanted to call it. But it was going to make for one hell of an awkward working relationship for the short time she would be helping him. How would things go once she went back to London?

It was bad enough she was going to have a lot of catching up to do with her friends, and seeing Fred for the first time, but how would the relationship be between her and Draco? Would they be friends? Would he tell Harry and Ron what had happened to try and get a rise out of them? How were Harry and Ron going to take that piece of information?

She didn't even need to ask herself that question because she knew the answer was going to be bad, they would take it very very badly. She sighed and tried to refocus back on the movie she was watching. But all she could think about were Draco's hands all over her body and the way he said her name when he came, and the fact that even though she knew it was a horrible idea, a small part of her wanted it to happen again.

* * *

 **Two days later**

Hermione smiled down at the paper she had just finished writing. She had taken the last two days to lay out every single detail of the proposal on paper so that it would be more effective when speaking with the Centaur council, granted she was able to get that far. For Draco's sake she hoped she was, his plans for the lab were really going to make a difference in St. Mungos future.

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the familiar knock at the door. Crookshanks jumped down from his perch on the window sill and padded over to the door, looking up at it expectantly. Hermione shook her head as she gathered up all the papers on the table.

"It's open!" She yelled. She heard the door open and Draco's familiar greeting to Crookshanks.

"I'm in the kitchen!" She yelled, as Draco walked in.

"I'm right here Granger no need to shout." He said, covering his ears. She blushed and mumbled a small sorry before handing over the papers.

"Look these over and tell me what you think." She said. When he didn't take the stack of papers she frowned.

"I don't need to look them over. I trust that you did a more than adequate job on them." He said.

"Why aren't you ready?" He asked her. She looked up at him confusingly.

"Ready for what?" She asked.

"Dinner. I made reservations for eight, it's seven, and the restaurant is across town. Hurry up Granger." He sighed.

"Dinner? You never said anything about dinner?" She said, getting up from her spot at the table.

"Didn't I? Well I am now, so hurry up and go get ready." He said, ushering her towards her bedroom.

"Why are we going to dinner?" She asked as she swung the door shut, not catching that it hit the frame and bounced back open a crack.

"It's my way of saying thank you for doing this. Merlin knows I'll never get the time to thank you once it's been pushed through and we start building." He said with his back to the door.

A small look of disappoint crossed Hermione's features as she let his words sink in. Basically he was telling her that when she went back to London he wouldn't be seeing her. It wasn't like they were friends right? They shagged once and it wasn't like he owed her anything. She knew that it shouldn't bother her in the slightest bit, but for some reason, she felt bothered. She had let him know that she would go back to talk to Firenze and the council herself and it had been a big step for her, and it felt as though it meant nothing to him.

"It's your way of saying, thanks for saving my arse now get out of my hair, you mean." She did her best to hide her disapproval but she knew how it sounded.

Draco smirked and looked over his shoulder towards the door and realized that it was still open, enough so that he could see her finish zipping up a white strapless dress. He watched as she stepped into a pair of heels and magicked her hair up in a mess of curls at the top of her head. Another wave of her wand and she was wearing the same red lipstick as she had been the night they'd gone to the bar, Draco felt his pants tighten and suddenly it was a lot warmer in the flat.

"Do I sense a hint of sadness? Didn't get enough of me the other night Granger?" He said, his voice low and husky, as she opened the door back up and looked at him with a hint of annoyance.

"It's you who keeps coming back for more, Malfoy." She said with a smirk.

He laughed and led her out of the flat and down through the lobby of the building. He smirked at the gasp of surprise from her when she saw that he had hired a car for the evening.

"Draco Malfoy! I never thought I would see the day where you rode in a Muggle car." She laughed as he opened the back door for her. He was getting so used to hearing her say his name.

He rolled his eyes and got in after her, giving the driver the name of the restaurant. She had scooted over to the passenger side of the car and was watching out the window as they crossed town. His fingers itched to reach out and touch the bare skin above her knee, where the dress ended.

"You know I've been thinking." He said, breaking the silence. She looked over at him, nodding for him to continue.

"When we get back to London maybe you could oversee the new lab. From what I remember in school you were quite skilled in potions, and I know you have a bleeding heart so making potions that help people sounds like something that would interest you." He said slowly, watching for any reaction in her eyes.

"Are you offering me a job?" She asked.

"Perhaps, maybe a temporary position, to see how you like it." He answered.

She rolled the idea around in her head the rest of the drive to the restaurant, and didn't answer him until they had been seated at their table.

"I'll think about it." She said simply, looking over the menu.

Draco lifted his menu higher to hide what some would have considered a genuine smile.

An hour and a half later found them laughing over the rest of their crème brûlée and wine as they exchanged stories from life and school. A comfortable silence settled over them and Hermione found herself not able to contain a giant smile that spread across her face.

"What?" Draco asked. She shook her head.

"Thank you, for all of this. If you hadn't stayed when you found out about my parents…I don't know what would have become of me. If you hadn't forced me out of the house and forced me to do this for you."

"Quite surprised that I can be a nice guy?" Draco asked her. She smiled and shook her head again.

"Given the circumstances I think it was typical and highly predictable." She laughed. He feigned shock at her using his own words against him and shook his head.

"What, did you think I'm only being nice because I want your help with the Centaur issue?"

"The old Draco yes, this one I'm still not quite sure. I haven't figured you out yet, still waiting to be genuinely surprised I guess." She said softly.

Draco was silent for a few moments and then stood from the table and offered her his hand. She looked up at him with a confused look on her face, but took his hand anyways, he motioned for her to leave her clutch on the table and she laughed when she realized that he was leading her onto the open dance floor that took up part of the patio.

"Are you serious?" She asked, as he pulled her into his arms and started moving slowly to the music from the live band.

"I can promise you I'm a much better dancer than Krum." He said with a smirk.

Hermione laughed as he moved her around the dance floor and blushed when she noticed that they were gaining an audience.

"People are staring." She whispered to him.

"Let them stare, I can't help that I'm gorgeous and attract a lot of attention Granger." He joked.

She laughed and rested her chin on his shoulder, moving her head slightly into his neck.

"Let's give them a show shall we?" He whispered.

She was about to ask what he meant when he spun her away from him then pulled her back in. The spinning and all of the wine made her dizzy and she tripped slightly coming back into his embrace. He laughed as he caught her and pulled back a bit to see if she was ok.

Time seemed to stand still for them both as they leaned closer to each other, inching ever so slowly, and right when their lips were about to touch they were interrupted by a loud attention grabbing cough. They looked towards the noise and then sprung apart from each other, both freezing as they saw a familiar dark haired wizard standing just a few feet from them, a sly grin plastered on his face.

"Well well well, what do we have here?"

Draco was the first to recover from the shock and glared at the man standing in front of them.

"What are you doing here Theo?" He demanded.

Hermione noticed that he moved towards Theo, abandoning her on the dance floor. She stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

"The deadline has been moved up, I figured I needed to see for myself what had you so wrapped up down here for this long, low and behold I find it's none other than Hermione Granger herself. Draco you sly dog you, what will your Mother say?" Theo's voice dripped with interest and sarcasm all at the same time and it was enough to make her roll her eyes and head back to the table, not caring to hear Draco's response.

"Theo I said I would be back soon. They can't push the deadline without running it by me first." Draco argued, leading Theo away.

"Well mate they did, you've been gone for almost two weeks now, didn't tell anyone where you were going or why. They don't think you're taking this seriously so why should they?" Theo said, looking back over his shoulder at Hermione.

"How in the hell did you get Hermione Granger to agree to have dinner with you? To dance with you no less? Feels like I interrupted something back there eh? Something you should tell me?" Theo prodded.

"There's nothing to tell. She's got a friend on the Centaur council who could help. This is a thank you dinner." Draco opened his mouth to say more but quickly shut it.

"And?" Theo asked, catching that there was more to be said.

"I may have offered her a job." Draco said, flatly.

"Interesting mate, interesting indeed. I'll leave you to it, but there's a portkey that leaves in the morning. I'll owl you the details, but I expect you to make it. You can't just up and leave me to take care of everything. That's not how a parter ship works."

"I know Theo. I'll make the portkey." Draco said, turning back to go into the restaurant.

"Bye Hermione!" Theo yelled over his back.

Draco looked up to see that Hermione had gathered her clutch and was now standing just a few feet away from him.

"Is everything alright?" She asked.

"Yes everything is fine. The deadline got moved up so I'm going to have to go back sooner than expected." He muttered.

Having already paid the bill before the dancing, Draco motioned for their car to pull up from where it was parked in the small lot. He opened the door for her and gave the driver directions to a place Hermione knew all too well. She looked at Draco questioningly and he just smiled at her.

"One last thank you." He simply said.

She felt her heart beating in her chest the entire drive to the cemetery where her parents had been buried. She wrapped her arms around herself when they got out of the car and smiled at Draco in thanks as he wrapped his suit jacket around her. They walked slowly down the path to the familiar grave sites and Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes. She knelt down, drawing out her wand, and motioned a wreath of flowers against both headstones.

"I know how incredibly hard this has been for you. Leaving it behind can't be easy, but I wanted to show you that you will always be here with them, even when you're in London." Draco said.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked him.

He pulled out his wand and motioned towards the head stones, and Hermione watched as the letters unraveled and in their place her parents rightful names appeared. She brought a hand to her mouth as tears ran down her face. She let out a small cry as she read the message on both stones.

"Loving Mother and loving Father survived by their daughter Hermione." She whispered through her tears. She turned and looked at Draco.

"Thank you." She said. He nodded at her and reached out for her hand, apparating them back to her flat when she took it.

She collapsed in a ball of tears and he picked her up and took her into her bedroom. He laid her on the bed and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"I have to go but I'll be in touch in a few days." He said, moving towards the door to leave.

"Can you stay? Just for a little while?" Hermione's soft voice stopped him.

He looked back to see that she had moved over on her bed to make room for him. He sighed knowing that it wasn't a good idea, that when he went back to London in the morning this would all be over, and the reality of it was that things would return back to how they used to be once she was around her friends again.

But even though he knew all of that, he went back and climbed into the bed with her letting her wrap her arms around him and lay her head on his chest, his hand coming around her to play with the curls still done up on her head.

After she fell asleep, Draco found himself not wanting to leave her. He looked down at the girl in his arms and realized that this was the closest he had felt to happy in a long time. He slipped out from underneath her and placed Crookshanks on the bed next to her. He watched her for a few moments before leaning down and placing a chaste kiss on her forehead.

In the morning Hermione awoke to the scent of Draco lingering on the pillow she was sleeping on, and a note on her nightstand in his elegant script.

 **Granger-**

 **I took the proposal with me, if you aren't ready to come back I understand, if you are though my offer to work in the lab still stands. So does the opportunity to talk to the council yourself, since you would be much more convincing than I could ever be when it comes to those beasts. The deadline is within the next two weeks, so if you choose to come, owl me and let me know. I'll arrange a portkey and a flat for your arrival.**

 **Malfoy**

Hermione smiled and put the note back on the nightstand. Somehow she knew her mind had already been made up, even before he had left.

* * *

Theo smirked as he walked through the lobby of the Ministry and saw that he was going to have to walk right past Harry Potter on his way out. Harry looked up as he neared and frowned. They had never liked each other much, Theo hadn't taken a side in the war, but Harry had after all put his Father in Azkaban.

"Cutting it close to your deadline aren't you?" Harry said when he had come close enough to talk, assuming the reason Theo was there was to talk to the Department Head about the Centaur issue.

"Actually were going to do just fine. Draco came back from his little vacation this morning, with a secret weapon that looks like it's going to win us the land." Theo said knowingly.

"What secret weapon? The only way the Centaurs are going to let you have their land is if you kill them first." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Well I don't think it's going to come to that. Draco seems to have been working with someone, whose close to someone on their council, for the past two weeks." Theo's smirk couldn't get any bigger.

"The Centaurs don't even speak to humans let alone the likes of you. The only one whose ever spoken to anyone is Firenze and the only people I would consider him close with are Ron, Hermione and I now that Dumbledore is gone." Harry said.

Theo was wrong, his smirk got a whole lot bigger. He stood there and watched joyfully as realization dawned on Harry's face, and he laughed when Harry started shaking his head.

"You're lying." Harry said, his voice low. They were already starting to attract attention.

"I'm not. She'll be back here soon enough, and to think it was Draco that got her to come home. Although it doesn't surprise me given the compromising position I found them in when I went to see him. Now if you will excuse me I have work to attend to." He said, walking away.

Harry blanched not really knowing how to feel. On one hand he was extremely excited for Hermione to be coming home, on the other that's where Draco had been all this time. He shook his head and squinted his eyes in confusion. He really hoped Theo was lying about the compromising position.

* * *

 **Author's** **Note** : Haha little does Harry know. Whew that was a long one! Since it was supposed to be part of the last chapter anyways. Please review! Please please please? I love hearing what you guys think!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Thank you to Starlite22, fefetwimom, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgirL, IGOTEAMEDWARD, imaginesakura, ahschung, ItzelNox, .fantastic, gthufflerunner, guest, letterlink, HH, , stephalopolisO9, wbm92, KaTee19, Onyx Obsidian, JuliSt, and Helena W.G. for reviewing! This is the most reviews I've received for a chapter so far and I'm so so incredibly grateful!

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 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

Draco sighed, as he looked over the list of flats that were for sale in Diagon Alley, while he ate his breakfast. He had received Hermione's owl that she would still be coming back and that she would be needing a place to stay, so he only had a few days to find a flat and get caught up on all of his work. He looked up as his Mother entered the dining room of the Manor and sat next to him.

"Mother." He greeted.

"Draco dear, how nice it is to see you this morning. How was your trip?" She asked, pouring herself some tea.

"It went well. I was able to find someone who might be able to help." He didn't elaborate.

"Oh? What is this? A list of available flats in Diagon Alley? Are you looking at purchasing another flat Draco?" She said, taking the list out of his hands.

"The person coming back to London to help will need a place to stay so I'm making sure it's ready before she gets back." He said, only realizing he gave away far too much information too late. He froze and looked sideways at Narcissa who had a large smile on her face.

"So you spent the last two weeks away with a _girl_? And she's coming _back_ to London you say? Someone you know well then?" She asked, with a mischievous grin.

"I spent the last two weeks ensuring that I was going to get the Centaurs to agree to let me build. This particular girl is going to make sure that happens, or at least she's going to try."

"Draco, I'm far smarter than you give me credit for my boy. You might as well just tell me who it is, or will I have to do some digging of my own?"

Draco thought about it for a moment. True, she would find out sooner or later who it was that he was getting the flat for. If he just told her outright and didn't try and hide anything then it wouldn't make him look suspicious. It wasn't like he and Hermione were in a relationship, but he was still worried about how his Mother would react.

"I don't know why it's a big deal Mother. It's Hermione Granger, she's a sucker for anything having to do with magical creatures, and she just so happens to have an in with someone on the council." He said, getting up from his chair.

He missed the slight turn of his Mother's head and her raised eyebrow. Before he could leave the room she called out after him.

"There's a lovely flat above Flourish and Blotts, if I remember correctly you said the girl always had her nose stuck in a book."

He paused at the door and a small smile found its way to his face, he quickly replaced it with a look of indifference as he turned to face her. He opened his mouth to say thank you but she interrupted him.

"I've been so bored around the Manor lately Draco, why don't you let me handle it? I'm sure you have things to catch up on at work and you have to prepare for the big meeting." She said, a little too eagerly in Draco's opinion.

He raised an eyebrow at her. She looked back down at the table sheepishly.

"I never got the chance to thank the girl properly for what she did for you at your trial." She said softly. Draco nodded and gave her a soft smile.

"Then by all means Mother I think that would be lovely." He said.

She smiled and nodded at him before he walked out the door. Once he was gone her smile got even bigger.

"Interesting. Interesting indeed." She said to herself.

* * *

Harry looked nervously across the table at Ron and Ginny who were in a very in depth conversation about Quidditch. It had been a few days since he had run in to Theo at the Ministry and he still hadn't told anyone about what the Slytherin had said.

He had tried to speak to Draco about it, even going as far as to show up at his office unannounced so that he _had_ to talk to him, but somehow Draco was always too busy to be able to see him. Harry had a feeling that Draco was avoiding him, having probably heard from Theo that he now knew that Hermione was coming home.

If he was being honest, he was a little hurt that Hermione hadn't reached out to them to let them know she was coming home. The fact that she hadn't, made him start to doubt that Theo was being honest about what he had said. If she was really coming home she _would_ have said something by now, wouldn't she have?

His thoughts were interrupted by Errol flying through the open window of the burrow and crash landing on the table in front of them.

"Bloody hell, this bird." Ron cursed, nudging Errol away from him.

The owl hooted and flipped himself upright, then held out his foot to Ginny. She took the letter and gave him a treat, judging by the way her eyes lit up Harry's heart jumped to his throat, wondering if it was the letter he had been expecting for days now.

"It's from Hermione!" She exclaimed, ripping it open. She scanned over it quickly before jumping out of her chair.

"She's coming home! Yes! Finally!" She shouted.

"What's all this yelling in here?" Fred asked, walking into the room with George, Molly and Arthur following them.

"Hermione is coming home! She just send an owl! She's coming back tomorrow! She said she's sorry for the late notice but she will be back in town early tomorrow and she wants to meet us all for a late lunch." Ginny explained excitedly.

"Oh thank Merlin! It's about time that child came back here!" Molly cried.

"I wonder why she didn't give us more notice that she was coming back?" Ron said.

"Yea, that is kind of strange." George agreed.

"Ginny we should go set up your room so she has a place to stay when she gets in." Molly said, walking off to the staircase.

"I think she'll probably want to stay with her parents for a while." Fred said softly.

"I agree she probably will. But then again, knowing Hermione, she's probably going to want to get a job right away and start working." Ron said.

As everyone was talking about what they thought Hermione was going to want to do when she came back, Ginny noticed that oddly Harry had said nothing the whole time. He hadn't even been surprised when she had announced that Hermione was going to be coming back. She walked around the table and nudged him in the shoulder, motioning for him to follow her outside. Once they were alone she crossed her arms and looked at him knowingly.

"Ok spill." She said.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said, shaking his head.

"Harry James Potter I know you too well. You're hiding something, something that has to do with Hermione coming back. You weren't even surprised when I read the letter." She said. After a few moments Harry sighed and looked down at the ground.

"Ok you're right, so I saw Theodore Nott the other day at the Ministry. I was dropping some papers off for the Department Head about the troll case we had to help out on last month, and Theo was walking out of his office, so I couldn't help but poke at the deadline for the Centaur business coming up. I know that it was childish but I couldn't help myself, don't give me that look Gin. Anyways, so I figured he'd be put off by it only he started grinning like a maniac and proceeded to tell me that Malfoy has spent the last two weeks in Australia with Hermione, and has gotten her to agree to help them with the Centaur business and got her to agree to move back." Harry finished. Ginny looked at him with wide disbelieving eyes.

"What?! Draco Malfoy has been with _our_ Hermione?!" Ginny yelled. Harry nodded at her.

"I know right? Unbelievable, especially when none of us had heard from Hermione that she was planning on coming back."

"Except for now she has told us." Ginny said.

"When Malfoy had come to the pub looking for her I figured that I could try and talk to Firenze for him instead, but when I owled him the next day it was returned saying he went out of town on business. I thought it was strange but I didn't think he would travel down there to talk to her himself." Harry explained.

"Merlin how odd it all is. Strange that the moment he showed up down there she didn't tell us." Ginny said.

"This whole thing has been strange, with her leaving and barely talking to any of us, now this. I don't know what to think." Harry said. Ginny went and stood beside him wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"I'm sure she just needed some time Harry. Don't take it personally, you know she would never do something to intentionally hurt any of us." She said. Harry wrapped his arms around her and nodded.

"I know Gin. I know."

* * *

"See, I told she would come home eventually. Now you can thank her all you want." George clapped Fred on the back as they put away inventory in their shop.

"Yea, great." Fred said absentmindedly.

"What's wrong?" George asked, turning to look at him.

"Nothing's wrong, everything is wonderful actually if I'm being honest. She's finally coming home and I can finally tell her thank you and tell her…" He trailed off.

"Tell her what?" George prodded.

Fred shook his head. He wasn't going to tell George about hearing Hermione's confession until after he had spoken to Hermione herself. He didn't like keeping things from his twin, but he knew that George disapproved of the feelings he had for her, so he found that George wasn't the easiest person to talk to about the situation. It unnerved him that he couldn't talk to his twin about something.

"Have you given any thought to asking Katie to the ball?" George changed the subject, happy to not dwell on the matter.

"What ball?" Fred asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The Ministry ball? Harry was telling us about it last week mate. The Ministry is throwing a ball in celebration of Hogwarts reopening, it's like the start of a new era." George laughed.

"Why don't I remember any of this?" Fred asked.

"Apparently you killed some brain cells while you were in that coma." George joked.

"I assume you're taking Angelina?"

"Duh."

"And you probably already told Angelina that I would take Katie?"

"Again, duh."

"So why are you even asking? Doesn't seem like I have much choice now do I?" Fred laughed as George grinned and shook his head.

He was nervous about finally facing Hermione. Nervous, but also really excited. He was looking forward to being able to tell her that he had heard everything while he was in his coma, and he was looking forward to being able to tell her that he returned her feelings, but he also didn't want to overwhelm her the moment she got back.

Asking her to the ball would probably do just that, so he didn't mind taking Katie, even though he knew it was leading the girl on and he felt bad doing that. He would need to sit down with Katie and tell her that his feelings for her were purely platonic. That was not a conversation he was looking forward to having.

"Alright I'm done with this box are you done with yours yet? We're supposed to be meeting Ginny and the guys for lunch soon." George asked.

"All done. Let's go I'm starving." Fred said.

 **2 hours later**

"Did you see that the flat above Flourish and Blotts sold? It was barely on the market for a week I'm curious to see who is going to move in there, it's such a large place." Ginny said, while eating her ice cream cone.

The group sat outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor enjoying their after lunch desserts. From where they sat on the patio they could see the bookshop off in the distance, the large sold sign hanging above the door to the flat above it.

"Yea I thought that was really weird too. Seemed like a flat to be rented out for a smaller business maybe, I didn't think they would sell it, it did seem to sell quickly too." Fred said.

"Hermione would have loved that flat." Ron said.

The group nodded and agreed in unison. In the moment of silence that followed, they heard Hermione's name coming from a table a few down from theirs. Everyone's ears perked up at the mention of it and they leaned a little closer to better hear the conversation coming from the two older witches that occupied the table.

"Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger?" One of them asked.

"Yes! Rumor is that he bought the flat outright in gold. Then he hired renovators to go in and redo the whole thing. Put in a whole library for her and everything."

"They hate each other, I don't think you have your facts straight Marigold. It's public knowledge how the two quarreled in school."

"It's also public knowledge that he saved her during the war. I think they were having a torrid love affair! Why else do you think he switched sides?"

"Oh my, if you are right, what will his Mother say?"

"Word has it that she had a say in how the flat was decorated. Knows about the whole thing. It wouldn't surprise me if there was a wedding announcement in the Prophet here soon."

All faces at the table went white as the witches got up from their table and walked down the street continuing their gossip.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron asked, breaking the silence.

"They have got to be kidding." George said.

"I don't think they know what they are talking about." Ginny said quietly, her and Harry giving each other confused and worried looks.

Fred stayed silent the whole time with a grim look on his face. He knew it was silly, but he couldn't help but feel hurt by what they had overheard. They had to be wrong, they absolutely had to be wrong.

* * *

"Mother to what do I owe this pleasure?" Draco looked up from his desk as his Mother walked into his office.

"I wanted to let you know that the flat is complete. You should come and look at everything and make sure it's perfect for Miss Granger's arrival tomorrow." Narcissa said.

"I'm sure you did a lovely job." Draco drawled, looking back down to his paperwork.

"But it would be nice of you to approve it to make sure it's to her liking." Narcissa pressed. Draco looked back up at her in annoyance and started rubbing his temples.

"What gives you the idea that I would have any inkling as to whether or not it was to her liking?" He asked.

"Well did you not spend two weeks with the girl? Surely you must have some insight on what she does and doesn't like."

"Not really but if it will make you stop pestering me about it I'll go." He said, returning to his paperwork. He looked back up at her when he realized she hadn't moved.

"Ok, I'll go with you now." He muttered, standing and stretching. A large smile spread across Narcissa's face.

"Excellent! Now, I know she will be arriving via floo straight to your office in the morning, should we set up the wards and connect your office floo to the one at her flat?" Narcissa asked, taking his arm as he lead her out of his office.

"No that won't be necessary Mother. I'm going to have Theo accompany her over there in the morning. We don't need to link the floos." He came to a sudden stop when his Mother paused and turned him to face her.

"Why aren't you meeting her and taking her to the flat?" She demanded.

"Because I have a meeting with the Department Head in the morning and Theo doesn't need to be there so he's going to take her. It's not a big deal." He said, pulling her along with him.

"Maybe I should just meet her and take her myself." Narcissa said, more to herself than to Draco.

"No I don't think that would be a good idea. You said it yourself you never got to thank her after the trial, she hasn't seen you since the battle at Hogwarts. I don't think the first thing she sees when she steps out of the floo needs to be you." Draco said. Narcissa nodded slowly in agreement.

"I suppose you're right. But I would very much like to meet her properly."

Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head. It was bad enough that Hermione's arrival in the morning had him feeling so anxious, but his Mother was just making things ten times worse. He hated all of these feelings that were bubbling up inside of him, even more so he hated that he was actually beginning to miss Hermione. He shook his head again to clear _those_ thoughts out of his head. He missed Crookshanks that was all, yes it was definitely the cat he missed.

* * *

Fred looked up as he heard the bell signal that someone had walked into the shop. It was almost closing time but he was always happy to attend to last minute shoppers. His smile faltered a little when he saw that it was Katie.

"Hi Fred." She said in a small voice.

"Hello Katie, Angelina is upstairs with George if you're looking for her. Although I would make sure you knock before walking in, I made that mistake once." Fred said with a shutter. Katie laughed and looked down at the ground sheepishly, a blush forming over her cheeks.

"Actually I was looking for you. Angelina said that you agreed to take me to the ball."

"Oh that, yea it will be fun." Fred said nonchalantly.

"Are you sure it's ok? I mean, I know they keep pushing us to hang out and all." Katie said, rubbing a hand down her arm and looking anywhere but at him.

"Of course it's ok. We're _friends_ Katie. So much better than having to find a real date you know? No pressure to say the right things or worry about your date breaking your toes while you dance. Cause we all know that I'm a swell dancer, from the Yule Ball." Fred joked.

"Of course, I haven't forgotten." Katie laughed and nodded her head, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Alright then. I have to finish closing up the shop though so I'll see you around?" He said.

"Do you need help with anything? Cause I wouldn't mind." Katie offered. Fred shook his head at her.

"No I've got it but thanks. You should ask when it's George's night to close up. He takes forever." Fred laughed.

"Ok well, goodnight then." Katie said, a flicker of rejection in her eyes.

"G'night!" Fred said, as she left.

He stood there watching the door for a few moments after she had gone. He felt really bad about the whole situation with Katie. It wasn't a secret that she liked him and now he felt like he was leading her on by agreeing to take her to the ball.

He sat on the stool behind the counter and ran a hand through his hair, sighing. Even though he and Hermione were nothing but friends, who hadn't even seen each other in months, a small part of him felt like he was cheating on her.

* * *

Draco looked around the flat, taking in every detail and scrutinizing every last piece of furniture, taking mental notes of what he wanted to change. Narcissa stood behind him, and a team of men behind her, waiting for his approval.

"Does the entire flat look like this?" He finally asked.

"I had all the rooms done in the same theme, yes." Narcissa answered, coming to stand beside him.

He turned around and surveyed the group of men who were standing there with terrified expressions on their faces, waiting to be addressed.

"Which one of you is in charge?" Draco asked. A short man with a stocky build and sandy brown hair stepped forward, lifting a hand to signal that he was in charge.

"What's your name?" Draco asked the man.

"Richard sir, Richard Jenkins." The man said in a deep voice.

"Well Mr. Jenkins you and your men outdid yourselves in the amount of time you had to put all of this together." Draco said. Richard smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

"Thank you sir the men worked-" He started to say but Draco cut him off.

"Unfortunately it's all wrong. Replace all the walnut wood with African mahogany, I don't want to see any crimson or gold, it looks too much like a Gryffindor threw up in here. Redo the colors in soft blues and greens, white trim, beige accents." He said, moving through the flat as he spoke.

"See what would have happened if you hadn't come to look at it?" Narcissa snapped angrily.

"You did a perfect job Mother. It looks like a Gryffindor's dream." He said, turning to look at her with a smile on his face. Her angry look softened.

"But she isn't just any Gryffindor is she?" She asked, smiling softly. Draco frowned at her in annoyance.

"You said you put in a library?" He ignored her question.

Narcissa eye's lit up and she nodded moving to direct him to the room in question. She opened a door to reveal a library that looked to be about half the size of the one at Hogwarts. Draco smirked and rolled his eyes. There was a fireplace against one wall with two large high backed cushioned chairs with a table in between them. He noticed that there was also a few bay windows scattered throughout the second story of the library, complete with a bench and crimson and gold throw pillows.

"You can leave this room Jenkins. This room is perfect." He said knowingly, giving Narcissa a nod of approval. She brought her hands together under her chin in glee and gave a little nod of her head back.

"How many rooms does this place have again?" Draco asked, motioning for Jenkins and his team to get started on their work.

"Two bedrooms, the library, kitchen, dining room, living area and the drawing room. Both bedrooms have their own bathroom but there is another bathroom across from the library. I fixed up the master bedroom for Miss Granger of course, but I also made sure that the guest room was ready and available for her parents should they ever want to come visit her." Narcissa prattled.

She noticed the way Draco stiffened at the mention of Hermione's parents and she gave him a questioning look.

"Her parents are dead." He said, after a few moments of silence. Narcissa frowned and opened her mouth to ask how but Draco shook his head, silencing her.

"It's not my story to tell. I need to get back to work. I trust you can finish the rest of the over seeing with my notes." He said, leaning in to kiss her cheek then stepping around her.

Narcissa just nodded and watched as he left. She racked her brain, in hopes that the name Granger didn't ring a bell as a muggle attack from when Voldemort was attacking the muggle world as well as their own. Not being able to recall, she told Jenkins that she would be back in a few hours to check in, then promptly left the flat.

Fifteen minutes later found her sitting at the Ministry, on the floor for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, across a desk from a very confused Blaise Zabini.

"Mrs. Malfoy to what do I owe the pleasure?" Blaise asked.

"I once overheard you and my son having a conversation about a certain muggle Gryffindor that you fancied." Narcissa said pointedly.

Blaise looked down at his desk sheepishly and cocked his head to the side in question. Narcissa smirked a very Malfoy smirk and leaned forward in her chair.

"I want you to tell me everything you know about Hermione Granger."

* * *

Hermione sighed and looked around her now empty flat wistfully. She had packed up all of her stuff in a few small bags with extension charms, and earlier that day had sent Crookshanks back through the menagerie in wizarding Sydney to be picked up at the one in London.

She was nervous, Draco had sent an owl letting her know that she would be arriving via floo straight to his office, and that he had acquired a flat for her to stay in. She felt like she was relying on him too much, like she was using him as a crutch to insert herself back into life in London.

It should have all felt very wrong, she had always imagined herself going back and staying at the burrow and finding a job at the Ministry right away. But Draco had been there with her during one of the hardest moments of her life, he could have left and gone back to London, but he had stayed. Stayed and helped her through it, even if it was for his own selfish reasons, and because of that it didn't feel so wrong.

She sighed again and closed the door after placing her keys on the kitchen table for the landlord. She quickly altered her appearance, so that she could get to the local floo she was supposed to leave from with no interruptions.

Once there, she stood in front of the fireplace, frozen and unsure. She dropped the glamour she had placed on herself and took a deep breath. It was now or never. Stepping forward and throwing powder into the flames she yelled out for Draco's office and left Sydney in a flash of green smoke.

It took her a few moments to recover, international floo travel was a little more hectic than regular floo, and she stepped from the fireplace into Draco's office. She frowned when she was met with the dark eyes of Theo instead of the grey eyes belonging to the man she had been looking forward to seeing again.

"Draco sends his regards. He has a meeting at the Ministry that he just couldn't get away from. But have no fear mi lady I'm here to escort you to your new home." Theo bowed and waggled his eyebrows.

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head. She was back home now, so why should she expect Draco to be anything like he was with her in Sydney.

"I'm actually meeting up with up with Harry, Ron and Ginny for lunch. If you could just tell me where the flat is, I'm assuming Draco gave you the key?" Hermione said.

"He did but I don't think he planned on you going anywhere before going to the flat." Theo said, frowning.

"Well I'm sorry for ruining Mr. Malfoy's plans but I would very much like to go see my friends, not that I need his permission." Hermione scoffed.

"That's not what I was saying at all Granger. Between you and me, Draco wanted to be here but he couldn't get out of the meeting." Theo said, moving to try and stand in her way as she headed towards the door to the office. Hermione stopped and glared up at him, putting her hands on her hips.

"Well then he shouldn't have told me to come in the middle of an important meeting. If he wanted to be here he would have been here, now move Nott." She said.

Theo looked down at her and she could tell that he was weighing his options in his mind before he finally shrugged and moved out of her way. She held out her hand for the key, which he dropped into her palm, before she walked briskly out the door. Theo shook his head and sighed.

"So much for surprising her."

* * *

Draco frowned as he looked at the grandfather clock that was against the wall of the living room in Hermione's flat. Theo should have arrived with her by now. He looked down at Crookshanks who was sitting patiently by his feet, purring and cleaning himself. He had been at the menagerie before Crookshanks had even arrived and had taken him to the flat after picking up his special cat food and some kneazlenip.

He paced the length of the room again and paused to rearrange the roses that he'd placed in a vase on the coffee table in the middle of the room. When he heard a tapping at the window he went to open it, a confused look on his face when he recognized it as Theo's owl.

 **Draco-**

 **She wasn't happy you were "held up in a meeting" and not here to greet her. She's gone to meet her friends for lunch. She took her key. I was afraid of being hexed. Scary that one is.**

 **Theo**

Draco frowned and cursed under his breath, shaking his head. Crookshanks meowed up at him in response.

"Guess I should have known that the moment she came back it would go right back to the way it used to be." He muttered.

Walking out of the flat to leave he decided that he was going to crash her little reunion lunch. If she wanted things to go back to the way they were, that's what she was going to get.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Poor Hermione and Draco, stubborn and foolish they are. Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Wow the amount of feedback I got for the last chapter was absolutely phenomenal in the first two days you guys! Thank you so so much. I'm blown away by how incredible you all are, the reviews that were left were just every author's dream. I very much enjoy hearing all of your thoughts and guesses as to what will happen next and I feel like you guys have really connected with the Draco and Hermione in this story. I know there hasn't been much Fred but I promise there will be more soon.

Thank you to I was BOTWP, Walking on ice, JuliSt, Arialee40 (times two lol), KaTee19, ahschung, gabytahijar, starlite22, imaginesakura, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, gthufflerunner, stephalopolisO9, minniemousemom, livingdeadchic1105, naz, Angy2015, guest, fefetwimom, MusicalCatharsis, caringe3, IGOTEAMEDWARD, HH, and maraudersanarchy for reviewing. You guys are so amazing and inspiring!

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 **Disclaimer** : I own nothing

* * *

Hermione walked down the street in frustration, headed to The Leaky Cauldron where she was going to meet up with Harry, Ginny and Ron. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even realize that people were staring at her as she walked past, like they had seen a ghost.

She paused for a moment when she realized that while Theo had indeed given her the key to her new flat he hadn't told her where it was. She rolled her eyes and shook her head muttering incoherent things as she walked up to the door of the pub.

As she pushed the door open she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. She nervously scanned the pub, now fully aware of the looks she was receiving. She spotted Ron and Ginny's red hair in a booth in the very back of the pub, and she was thankful that they had chosen a table that was more secluded from the rest. She smiled and made her way over to their table.

Ron was the first to see her and jumped up from the table pulling her into a tight hug. She laughed and hugged him back, then turned to embrace Harry and Ginny.

"We've missed you so much 'Mione. It's good to have you home finally." Harry whispered in her ear.

"It's good to be home." She said.

"You have some explaining to do." Ginny said, with a knowing smile and a raised eyebrow.

"I know, it's been a long time." Hermione sighed as they all sat in the booth.

"That's not what I'm talking about." Ginny leaned forward, whispering so Ron didn't hear.

It was Hermione's turn to raise an eyebrow at her, but when Ginny shook her head softly and nodded towards Ron, Hermione dropped it.

"So, tell me all about Auror training, and Ginny are you excited to start classes back up?" She asked, as Tom brought them all butterbeers.

"Ginger in yours Miss Granger. Don't think I've forgotten." Tom said, with a smile. Hermione smiled up gratefully at him as she took her butterbeer.

"Thank you Tom." She said.

"Training is boring and and classes are going to be the same. We wanna know what happened in Australia." Ginny said.

Hermione looked down at the table and wondered how to tell the story of her parents to her friends. When she looked back up she was about to start talking when she caught the dark chocolates eyes of Fred Weasley. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched a smile spread across his face as he and George walked closer to their table.

"Hope you didn't start the party without us." George laughed, bending down to pull Hermione into a hug.

"Hermione was just about to tell us about Australia before you gits showed up." Ron rolled his eyes and scooted farther into the booth to make room for the twins.

Hermione felt like everything had gone quiet and again she could hear her own heart beating in her ears. She didn't even realize that she had stood from her seat, standing across from Fred as they just smiled at one another. Fred finally broke the silence in a low voice.

"It's good to see you Hermione." He said.

"You too Fred. I'm so glad to see you awake, you look much better than when I left." She said.

They stood there, both unsure if they should take a step forward to hug the other, until George grabbed the sleeve of Fred's shirt and pulled him down to sit next to him in the booth. Hermione quickly looked down as she moved to sit back down next to Ginny.

"So go on Hermione, tell us all about the tales of the great Down Under." George joked.

"It was anything but great." Hermione said softly.

They all looked at her curiously and she sighed, launching into the story of finding her parents, of watching them for months and ultimately their deaths. By the end of her story there were tears in her eyes, as well as in Ginny's who was holding her hand.

"Hermione why didn't you tell us sooner? You know we would have been there in a heartbeat." Harry said, reaching around Ginny's back to lay a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"I know you all would have been. I just…I don't know Harry I didn't want to bother any of you. I knew you all had your own things going on." She said.

"That's rubbish Hermione we would have dropped anything to be there with you." Ron said.

"I know you would have. Part of me was hoping the whole time that someone would come, but the other part of me was happy you respected my wishes to stay here." Hermione somberly laughed.

"That's just mental 'Mione." Ron said, earning him a jab in the gut from Fred and George and glares from Ginny and Harry.

"No he's right. It was completely mental." Hermione said.

"So what made you decide to come back?" Fred asked her, a hopeful gleam in his eye.

Hermione found herself looking at him, taking in the details of his face, his warm eyes and the slight crooked smile that set him apart from George. She was surprised to find, as she gazed into the dark chocolate of his eyes, her mind wondering about a pair of grey eyes instead.

 **Across the pub**

Draco watched the exchange between Hermione and her friends. It hadn't taken him long to narrow down where they would be going for lunch, but once he walked into the pub his anger had dissipated.

Judging by the tears in her eyes, and the looks on the faces of her friends, she had just told them about her parents. How could he possibly go take his anger out on them now? He continued watching them in silence and was about to turn and leave when she looked up suddenly and caught his eye. He froze, and when a smile spread across her face followed quickly by a frown, he realized that he wasn't going to be able to just leave with no explanation now.

Ron followed her gaze and looked over his shoulder to see Draco standing there on the other side of the pub. He rolled his eyes and curled his lips into a sneer.

"What's the ferret doing here?" He snarled.

"Probably heard Hermione was back in town and wants to pester her about that Centaur business." George said.

Fred was watching Hermione's face as she watched Draco walk towards them. There was something there that he couldn't quite place, a slight pinkish hue to her cheeks as different emotions flickered across her face.

"Actually you guys…" She started. But Draco had made his way to the table by now, his trademark smirk settled on his face.

"There you are." He said, having only eyes for Hermione.

"Draco." She greeted, earning her a table full of shocked faces to hear her greet him by his first name.

"I thought I gave Theo specific instructions to bring you to your flat this morning." Draco said, leaning against the table making sure to turn his back fully to Ron.

Hermione's eyes narrowed and she immediately frowned up at him. Leaning back in her seat she crossed her arms and flashed him a look of annoyance.

"How was your meeting?" She asked with a slight jut of her jaw.

"Furry." Draco responded with a smirk. She furrowed her eyebrows in question and he gave a short laugh.

"I picked up the cat and got him settled in the flat for you. That was the meeting." He said. He relished in the look of realization that appeared on her face.

"Can someone tell me what the bloody hell is going on?" Ron demanded.

"Let me spell it out for you Weasel. I'm the one who found Granger down in Australia. I'm the one who went looking for her when all of you idiots decided to leave her by herself down there. It was me who got her to come back, me whose giving her a job, and me who bought her the flat she's going to be living in." Draco drawled, pushing himself off the table and turning to glare at the red head

"Now wait just a minute I never said I was going to work for you outside of this one job, and I have every intention of paying you back for the flat." Hermione glared at him. She knew he was intentionally trying to rile Ron up.

"You guys, we're attracting a lot of attention." Harry whispered angrily, trying to get them to lower their voices.

"Why are none of you surprised or upset by any of this?" Ron shouted at them.

"Hey mate, if Hermione wants to work with the ferret that's her choice. I support whatever she wants to do with her life, she knows what she's doing." George shrugged, getting up from the table.

"I _do_ hope you know what you're doing Hermione." Fred said quietly, as he also got up from the table.

"Nothing to see here folks. Go back to your meaningless lives." George yelled to everyone who was watching them.

"We gotta get back to work guys. Hermione, glad your home love. Come by the shop soon, we'll show you the plans for the new shop we're opening in Hogsmeade." George said, as they walked away from the table.

Hermione held Fred's stare until he finally had to look away to watch where he was going. This exchange didn't go unnoticed by Draco.

"Why aren't the two of you upset about this?!" Ron yelled loudly at Ginny and Harry.

"You didn't tell him Potter?" Draco mocked surprise.

"Tell me what?" Ron glared at Harry.

"Why Potter here ran into my associate Theo at the Ministry a few days ago. Theo told him that Granger would be coming back and that I had spent the last two weeks with her in Australia." Draco said with a happy grin on his face.

Ron paled and Hermione sucked in her breath and closed her eyes in frustration. Why did the men in her life always have to make a fight out of everything?

"Oh Merlin here we go." Ginny sighed, reaching to take Hermione's hand again.

"Two weeks!? You spent two weeks with this git!? How could you Hermione!? You know what he is!" Ron's voice had lowered, but it was a dangerous low, as bad as yelling would have been.

"Ron, I had just lost my parents when he showed up. He could have left, the old Draco _would_ have left, would have made a mockery out of what happened but he didn't. He stayed and he helped me through it. _That's_ what he is Ronald." She said, her voice edged in anger.

"Now Granger don't go spreading rumors that I'm nice or anything. I did what any decent human being would have done in that position." Draco said, his smirk never faltering as he watched Ron sputtering in disbelief.

"I can't believe this. This has to be a bad dream. Tell me this is a bad dream Hermione." Ron said.

"I can pinch you to ensure it's not." Draco offered.

"Draco! You aren't helping!" Hermione said through gritted teeth. Ron stood up from the table shaking his head.

"I need to go. I can't be here right now." Ron said in an angry voice.

Draco moved off to the side with a laugh as Ron got up from the table and stormed off. Hermione glared at him as he sat down across from them in the booth.

"Well that was fun. Welcome home." He grinned.

"Must you ruin everything Malfoy?" Harry shook his head at him. Ginny gave him a jab in the gut and he looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"So are the rumors true Malfoy? Did you get Hermione the flat above Flourish and Blotts?" Ginny asked, in the friendliest voice she could muster.

"Rumors? What rumors?" Draco asked, genuinely curious. The only people who knew that he was purchasing the flat for Hermione was his Mother and Theo.

"Just old witches gossip. Have you seen the flat yet?" Ginny asked, brushing off his question and turning her attention to Hermione.

"No…not yet." Hermione said slowly, taking a second to appreciate the fact that Draco had gotten her a flat over a bookshop.

"Which reminds me, why don't we head that way Granger?" Draco said, getting up from the table.

"Draco, I barely got any time to catch up." Hermione argued.

"It's ok 'Mione I'm sure you're dying to see your flat." Harry said, glaring at Draco.

"I have an idea, why don't you both join us for breakfast tomorrow? Say ten o' clock? We can meet up at Rosa Lee's, she's doing breakfast and lunch at her tea shop now." Ginny said.

Hermione looked at her with a smile, grateful that she was handling the situation so gracefully. She looked back to Draco and raised an eyebrow.

"Sure why not. Exactly how I want to spend the morning before our meeting with the Centaur." Draco rolled his eyes. He stood from the table and Hermione gave Ginny and Harry a quick hug before standing as well.

"Alright I'll see you guys in the morning. I love you both." Hermione said.

Draco felt his skin prickle hearing her say she loved her friends. No one had ever said those words to him besides his Mother. He wondered what it would sound like if she directed the phrase at him.

Harry watched Hermione follow Draco out of the pub before turning to Ginny.

"What was that?" He asked. Ginny just gave him a sad smile.

"He switched sides in the war Harry. He saved her life during the final battle. He was right, someone still should have gone down there after her. That someone happened to be him and he happened to show up at a very hard time, instead of leaving her he stayed, and somehow happened to get her back here. The rest is history Harry, if she trusts him then so do I." She said.

"You are amazing you know that?" Harry asked, leaning forward to kiss her.

"I know I am. Just give their friendship a chance ok? For Hermione." Ginny said assuringly. Harry took a moment to think about it but finally nodded.

"For Hermione."

* * *

"Well thanks a ton for ruining that." Hermione said dryly as they walked down the road towards the bookshop.

"Well if you had just gone with Theo like I planned then I wouldn't have ruined anything. YOU ruined MY morning. Do you think I wanted to be getting your cat and flat ready instead of working?"

"Obviously or you wouldn't have done it." Hermione replied sourly.

She then realized what she had said and her expression softened. Obviously he _had_ wanted to, and if she hadn't been so stubborn then he would be working right now and she would still be enjoying lunch with her friends.

"So Flourish and Blotts huh?" Hermione asked after a few moments of silence.

"Figured you would appreciate being around all the books." Draco said awkwardly, not sure if he still wanted to be upset with her or not.

"Well I think it was a lovely gesture, thank you." She said as they neared the building.

He nodded, opening the door on the end of the shop for her and following her up the stairs. He let her open the door with her key and let her step into the flat first, reaching down to catch Crookshanks as he tried to dart out the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" He said quietly to the cat who just meowed back in response.

"Draco it's beautiful!" Hermione exclaimed as she started exploring.

"It does have a certain charm about it doesn't it?" He asked, watching her instead of looking around the flat.

"I half expected everything to be crimson and gold." She laughed.

"Do you not like the colors? I can have it re-done?" He said hurriedly, wondering if maybe his Mother had gotten it right the first time.

"No! No! I love it! It's perfect!" She said, turning to face him. They stayed like that for a few moments before he cleared his throat and motioned to one of the doors down the hall.

"There's a special room I had put in for you." He said.

He watched as she gave him a curious look then turned to go find the room. He saw her eyes light up as she disappeared with a squeal into the library and he chuckled and looked down at Crookshanks.

"I think she likes it." He said. He frowned when the cat just stared at him. When did he start speaking to animals?

"I love it!" Hermione exclaimed, coming back out from the room and launching herself into his arms in a hug. He gingerly brought his arms up to return the hug, resting them on the middle of her back.

"Thank you so much Draco. I promise as soon as I get some things in order I will pay back whatever you spent on it." She said, leaning away from the hug but not moving from his arms.

"Don't worry about it, consider it a gift for coming back to help with everything." He said softly. He watched as her cheeks grew pink and she shook her head.

"I couldn't possibly accept this as a gift Draco." She said.

He realized she had grown accustomed to saying his name every other sentence. He also realized that she was staring up at him, face just a few inches from his, and if he wanted to he could kiss her and make her say his name in a way he had been fantasizing about for the past few days. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Theo walking through the door, earning a hiss from Crookshanks.

"I see you found your way Granger." Theo said, grinning as he looked from Draco's angry face to his arms around Hermione, before the two sprung apart.

"Yes, no thanks to you." Draco drawled, moving to get a treat for Crookshanks so the cat would stop hissing.

"I don't think your pet here likes me very much." Theo said, leaning down to scratch the cat's head. Crookshanks flattened his ears and batted his hand away with a paw and turned to run to Draco who was holding out a treat. The cat took it and ran back into Hermione's bedroom while Theo turned an amused face on Draco.

"He doesn't like anyone really." Hermione said, moving to smell the flowers on the coffee table.

"He seems to like Draco just fine." Theo laughed.

"What are you doing here Theo?" Draco gave him a pointed stare.

"Just making sure she made it. Figured you would have found her by now but wanted to be positive. We actually have a meeting to get to though so we should probably get moving." Theo said, turning back towards the door.

"Lovely to see you again Granger, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of each other." He waggled his eyebrows at her. She rolled her eyes and laughed, shaking her head.

"I'll let you take the rest of the day to get settled in. About breakfast-" Draco started.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to I completely understand." She cut him off.

"I was just going to ask if you wanted me to meet you here or if you wanted to meet there." He finished. Hermione blushed again and looked down at the floor.

"If you want to meet me here we can walk together. Or I can meet you there either way is fine." She said slowly at first, but the last part came out rushed as she saw Theo chuckle behind Draco and waggle his eyebrows at her again.

"I'll be here at nine thirty." Draco said, giving her a half smirk half smile, which she returned with her own small smile.

When they left, she stood there for a few moments thinking to herself. So many different emotions were going through her mind. She thought back to her lunch with her friends and how easy it had been to fall back into speaking with them. She had only been gone for a few months, but so much had changed in those few months that she had thought it was going to be harder to get their friendship back to where it had been. Especially with her leaving right after the war.

She was so thankful that it hadn't been hard, but then her thoughts turned to how the twins had left and how Ron had stormed out. The look Fred had given her as he left. The old feelings that stirred in her when he smiled at her, but he was with Katie now and she was…well she was having not so pure thoughts about a certain blonde haired Slytherin whenever he was near.

Crookshanks pulled her out of her thoughts by coming to sit at her feet and meow loudly. She looked down at the cat and bent to pick him up.

"You're right Crooks. Time to unpack and stop having such bad thoughts about Mr. Draco hmm?" She cooed. Crookshanks gave a sound of unpleasantness and Hermione shook her head.

"No we're going to do it the Muggle way. Can't forget where we come from now can we?"

Crookshanks gave a low yowl in response.

* * *

Theo looked at Draco sideways with a smirk on his face as they walked down the street towards their work building. They had purchased the largest building on the edge of Diagon Alley and set up a large lab in the bottom half of it, using the other half for meeting rooms and staff rooms, while their offices took up the whole top floor.

"You've got it bad mate." He joked.

"I do not _have it bad_. You have no idea what you're on about." Draco drawled.

"I don't? Cause after seeing you two together in Australia and then just now in her flat, it looked like you guys were pretty cozy. She's going to be around a lot from now on, and don't tell me you haven't noticed how much she's grown up. I mean, if you aren't interested I sure as hell am." Theo prodded, taking a step away from Draco as he said the last sentence. Draco turned his head and glared at him, making Theo laugh and put up his hands.

"So you _have_ noticed. Did something happen in Australia that you haven't told me about?" Theo asked. Draco was silent but a small smirk spread across his face before he could stop it.

"Merlin! Something **did** happen! Why haven't you told me?!" Theo yelled.

"There's nothing to tell." Draco said smoothly.

"Since when do you have a problem with kissing and telling?" Theo asked, annoyed that Draco wouldn't tell him anything.

 _Because she's different._ The thought was in Draco's mind before he could open his mouth to speak. The thought made him shut his mouth as they walked into their building.

"There's nothing to tell." Draco repeated.

"So you have no problem if I ask her out then? After we're done with this job of course, wouldn't want to mix business with pleasure." Theo grinned.

Draco frowned at his friend as they stepped into the lift. He didn't like the way the thought of Theo taking Hermione out made him feel. As he was thinking it, the memory of the Weasley twin sharing a long exchanged look with her when he left at lunch popped into this mind. His frown deepened as he realized he didn't like the way that made him feel either.

He didn't like any of the feelings he was starting to have where she was concerned. She was completely undoing him, Hermione Granger of all the women in the world, was making him feel like a jealous territorial prat. Something he never had been, and had never thought a woman was worth making him feel that way. But before his mind could even process the words, his mouth was opening and speaking them.

"Don't even think about it Theo."

* * *

Hermione laid vertically over her bed after the last bag had been unpacked. She checked the time and realized that it was pretty late and she hadn't eaten since lunch.

"Are you hungry too?" She asked Crookshanks who took off to the kitchen.

"I'll take that as a yes." She laughed, getting up to get him food.

She knew that there was a Muggle market open late and not far from The Leaky Cauldron so she grabbed her purse and keys and left to grab some groceries. As she stepped onto the street and turned to lock the outside door, she noticed that a little ways down the long street the lights were still on in the twins joke shop. Smiling to herself she headed towards the shop, forgetting about her groceries.

As she got closer she could see that the open sign was still on and Fred was inside helping a group of young kids, while their parents spoke just inside the shop. She knew it was Fred because he had let his hair grow a little longer, she had always liked it better longer, while George had kept his short.

She opened the door, sounding the bell, and smiled as Fred looked up at her and grinned. He held up a finger for her to hold on while he finished ringing up the kids. She moved off to the side, looking at some products absentmindedly as the kids turned and left with their parents.

"Hermione! I wasn't expecting you so soon." Fred said, turning the open sign to closed.

"I know I'm sorry, I was on my way to Muggle London for some groceries and I saw that the light was still on." She said.

"No! No! Sorry that came out wrong. I'm glad you stopped by." Fred said, coming to stand by her.

"George leave you to close up by yourself tonight?" Hermione asked, finding herself looking everywhere but at him.

"Yea he and Angie are out on a date tonight. I sent Verity home early cause we've been pretty slow." Fred answered, eyes only on her.

Hermione nodded unsure of what else to say, she had never been nervous like this around him before, regardless of her feelings. She found herself wrapped up in his arms a moment later and the nervousness melted away as she hugged him back, tucking her head into the crook of his neck.

"I'm so glad you're ok." She whispered.

"All thanks to you." Fred said, pulling away from her but still standing close. She blushed and looked down at the ground again.

"Someone would have noticed eventually." She said, her voice soft.

"Well I'm glad that you noticed when you did." He said just as softly. He reached out to tug at a curl that was settled around her face.

"I like the new hair." He said. Hermione blushed as his hand moved to cup her cheek.

"I have something to admit." Fred said, voice lowered to almost a whisper.

 **Outside the shop**

Draco walked along the street with a bag of food that his house elves had prepared at the Manor. He figured that Hermione hadn't gone to get groceries and knew she was going to have to eat tonight. He felt weird showing up unannounced but hopefully she wouldn't mind.

A lot of the shops had closed for the evening but he noticed that the Weasley twin's shop still had their light on. He glanced in the window as he walked by, freezing and backtracking to see if what saw was correct.

Hermione was standing in the shop with one of the twins, they were close enough to be considered intimate, his hand resting on her cheek. Draco felt his blood run cold and his heart skipped a beat. In a matter of seconds he was angry and found himself moving forward to go into the shop before he could rationalize that he had no right to feel the way he did.

"I have something to admit." He heard Fred say.

He sneered as both of them looked to see who had walked in. A look of annoyance passed Fred's face as Hermione stepped away out of Fred's reach, and looked at Draco with what looked like an ashamed look. As if she felt she had been caught doing something bad.

"Well, well, well Granger what do we have here? Just can't stay away from the Weasley men can you?" Draco drawled.

"What are you doing here Draco?" Hermione asked, stepping towards him.

"I came to bring you dinner since I knew you didn't have any food in the flat. Imagine my surprise to see you here in such an intimate position with Weasley's brother. Aren't you dating the Bell girl Weasley? You lot never did have any class did you?" Draco spat. Fred opened his mouth to retaliate but Hermione held up a hand to stop him.

"Don't insult my friends Draco." She said.

She held Draco's eyes for a few moments, she was surprised to see such rage in them, but even more surprised to see a flicker of betrayal. She made a move to go to him but he backed away from her and shook his head.

"Don't worry I'm going." He spat, as he turned and walked out the door.

"Draco!" Hermione called out after him. She turned back towards Fred and gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry Fred. I have to go." She said, rushing out the door after Draco.

She missed the incredulous look that Fred gave her as she left. He stood there for a few moments after she had gone with a confused look settled on his face.

"What the bloody hell just happened?" He said to himself.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I'm sorry about the late update everyone…this week had been…hell for lack of better word. I'm working extra and very sick so I've had little interest in anything other than sleep. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, I feel like it could have been better but I'm going to focus on getting better and come back with a great one for you guys! Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you all for the kind words in regards to me being sick. I am on the road to recovery and still trying to keep up with updates once a week.

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 **Disclaimer** : I own nothing

* * *

"Draco!" Hermione yelled after him as he walked down the street.

"Sorry I interrupted whatever that was, you know he's got a girlfriend? I didn't peg you as the home wrecker type Granger." Draco drawled, turning around to face her.

"You didn't interrupt anything you prat. Fred is just my friend, he was just trying to say thank you for saving his life in the final battle."

"Funny way of saying thank you if you ask me."

They both stood there, glaring at each other on the street, until Hermione took a step forward and pulled the bag from his hands.

"What's it to you anyways?" She asked, rummaging through the bag to see what he had brought.

Draco didn't know how to answer that question. He hadn't even thought it through before storming into the shop. He didn't know why she was stirring up these feelings in him, they were foreign and he'd never felt them before. The fact that it was Hermione Granger that was invoking them scared him.

His purpose of going down to Australia had been to simply get her to help him convince the Centaurs to let him build on their land. But after he had arrived, and he had found out about her parents, he couldn't just simply leave her. One thing had led to another and after they had ended up in bed together the only thing Draco was sure of anymore was that what he was feeling for her scared him.

"The last thing I need right now is for a scandal to interrupt all the work I've been doing for the lab. Your reputation with Rita Skeeter, and situations like _that_ , are going to land you on the front page of the Prophet if you aren't careful." He said, turning to walk back towards his office so that he could floo home.

"There's no scandal we're just friends!" She yelled after him.

When he didn't respond or stop walking, she turned her head back towards the joke shop and saw that the light had been turned off. She let her mind wander to what Fred was about to tell her before Draco had burst into the shop. Sighing, she headed back to her flat with the bag of food in hand. She smiled as she looked in the direction that Draco had gone, it had been very sweet of him to bring her food.

* * *

"Come in!" Hermione yelled from the bedroom when she heard knocking on the door at exactly nine thirty the next morning.

Draco walked through the door and was met by Crookshanks who was sitting there waiting for him. He bent down to pet him before moving to the cabinet to give him a treat.

"I already gave him one this morning!" Hermione's voice grew louder as she walked down the hall.

He brought a finger to his lips in a "don't tell" motion before handing the cat the treat. When he stood up from his crouched position he turned to look at Hermione and his breath caught in his throat.

She was wearing a white pencil skirt that stopped just above her knees and had a small slit in the back, paired with a burgundy blouse that was tucked under a fitted white business jacket. She had pulled her hair back into a messy French twist and a few curls were hanging around her face. She had applied mascara and a light pink lip gloss to her face, and he found himself gulping at the sight of her.

"Tad dressy for breakfast?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well I figured that we were going to be going right to the office afterwards, that way we can go over what needs to be taken care of in this first meeting with Firenze, before the actual meeting. Is it too much?" She asked.

"No, you look very nice." Was all he said in return.

He wanted to say beautiful, hell the word Pureblooded even crossed his mind. If he hadn't known her and had randomly seen her in public he would have assumed that she was indeed of pure blood. The way she carried herself, the way she looked, everything about her screamed Pureblood.

"Ready to go then?" She asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be to have breakfast with Potter and the Weaselette." He drawled, offering her his arm. She hit him lightly in the chest.

"Can you at least try and be nice?" She said, as they walked down the stairs and onto the street.

"That is me trying." He said in mock defense.

She laughed and shook her head as they walked down the street towards Rosa Lee's tea shop. She frowned quickly when she noticed out of the corner of her eye there was a photographer snapping their picture. She pulled her arm out of Draco's and turned her head so that the photographer couldn't see her face.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked when she pulled her arm away from his.

"There's a man taking photographs of us across the street." She said in a whisper.

Draco looked over her head and saw the man that she was talking about with his camera pointed in their direction.

"Ashamed to be seen with me?" He asked her. Her eyes shot up to his and she shook her head.

"No, I'm not Draco. I just don't like having camera's in my face. It's an evasion of privacy." She said.

"Technically he's across the street and not in our face. Now that you're back you ought to get used to it. Being a war heroine, finally being back after all these months, and now stepping out with me? It's no secret how we felt about each other back in school. It's going to cause a lot of gossip Granger."

"Oh so it's ok to be on the front of the Prophet if the scandal includes you hmm?" She raised an eyebrow up at him.

"Of course, my Mother will love it. Me being seen with Hermione Granger, the brains of the Golden Trio, London's sweetheart…it will do wonders for the family name." He said jokingly.

"Ah the truth comes out Mr. Malfoy! You're using me for my name! Who would have ever guessed that the great Draco Malfoy would need the lowly Hermione Granger to gain good status again in the social hierarchy?" She joked back as they stepped in to the tea shop.

"Good morning Mr. Malfoy! Your table is almost ready just give us one second please." The hostess said with a bright smile. As she turned to check on the table Draco placed his hand on Hermione's causing he to look up at him.

"You know that I wouldn't do that right? Yes it's true that the Malfoy's have fallen out of favor around here because of my Father, and Mother and I are trying to make our name one that has meaning and purpose again. But I wouldn't use you like that." He spoke softly. Hermione smiled up at him and nodded.

"I know Draco." She said, as the hostess returned and had them follow her.

Their table was set in the back of the shop, away from the others, and Hermione was grateful that Draco had asked for the privacy. They sat on the same side of the table and looked over the menus in silence as they waited for Ginny and Harry to arrive.

Ten minutes later they both stood as the hostess showed Ginny and Harry back to the table. Hermione came around and hugged them both while Draco just nodded to them out of politeness.

"How is Ron?" Hermione whispered to Ginny.

"He'll get over it eventually he's just being a hot headed dimwit right now. By the way, you look amazing!" Ginny said. Hermione blushed and looked down to the table.

"Thanks Gin." She said.

"You do look beautiful 'Mione. Even Ron mentioned something about it last night." Harry said, smiling at her from across the table.

Draco stiffened at Harry's words and both Ginny and Harry noticed the slight change in his body language. They watch as he shifted himself slightly towards Hermione and they both gave each other a curious glance.

The waitress came over and took their orders and brought them tea. Draco and Hermione had ordered a different kind from Harry and Ginny so they had separate pots set in front of them. Ginny watched with a raised eyebrow as Draco made Hermione's tea for her, while Harry watched with furrowed brows as Hermione buttered some toast and added marmalade to it. Hermione hated marmalade, so it was his turn to raise an eyebrow when she passed the toast to Draco and took her cup of tea from him.

"So you guys have a meeting with Firenze today?" Ginny asked with a beaming smile.

"Yes, I'm going to speak to him first and he's going to take back what I propose to the Council. We should hear back by later tonight or tomorrow what they decide and if we can move forward with another meeting with the entire Council, and finally get this lab underway." Hermione explained while making her own toast.

"Have you decided what you're going to do if they don't let you use their land Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"We have a backup plan, but it's going to end up costing a lot more money. We would need to get investors on board and finding people to work with us right now has been…difficult to say the least. I have a lot of money but not enough to completely fund the backup plan, continue funding it for the few years it will take to see any returns, and not go bankrupt." Draco explained.

"Have you thought about reaching out to the public to try and get back in their good graces? I know your Mother is on the committee for the Ministry Ball coming up. I think people seeing that she wants to help has been really good." Ginny said.

"My Mother enjoys those kinds of things and I definitely do not. It took her ages to get me to even agree to go to the ball, and the only reason I agreed is because it's for the re-opening of Hogwarts. I feel like I owe it…to the school to go." Draco said.

"Not to mention the generous donation you and your Mother made for the rebuilding of it." Ginny prodded.

Draco nodded and fidgeted in his seat, uncomfortable with talking so openly to the red head. She seemed nice enough, much more accepting than her brothers. Something he noticed Potter was having a hard time with as he watched different emotions flicker over Harry's face during the conversation.

"What ball are you guys going on about?" Hermione asked, as the waitress brought their food over.

"The Ministry has decided to throw a ball in honor of the school re-opening soon. The invitations were sent out months ago but you've been gone. I guarantee their going to want you there though." Harry said.

"When is it?" Hermione asked.

"Next week. Mother has been having dresses delivered from all over, I swear the drawing room at the Manor has turned into a dress shop." Draco said.

"Speaking of dresses I still need to get one. Hermione you should come with me! I was planning on going tomorrow with Angelina and Katie. We can get you one too!" Ginny exclaimed happily.

"Oh I don't know Gin, there was already a photographer taking pictures on our way here. There's bounds to be tons of photographers there and I don't need to give Rita Skeeter a front page story if I show up alone." Hermione said.

"Show up with me then." Draco said nonchalantly. All eyes turned to him.

"Don't you already have a date?" Hermione asked him. Draco shook his head.

"Like I said these types of events aren't really my thing. I hadn't planned on staying long and I was going along with Blaise and Pansy, Theo and his date. You should just accompany me." Draco said.

Hermione seemed to think about it for a few seconds before Harry opened his mouth and replied for her.

"I think it's a great idea 'Mione. Give Skeeter a real shocker of a front page. Not to mention the more you two are seen together the more attention it will bring to the lab project. Knowing that you are working on it as well will hopefully bring in investors if you need to use plan b." He said. Now all eyes were on him.

"Ok." Hermione said in a small voice, surprised to see Harry speaking in Draco's favor.

Ginny reached over and grabbed Harry's hand while smiling at him. He squeezed her hand and smiled back. After all, he did say he would try.

* * *

"Granger you're positively killing me in that outfit." Theo said, placing his hands over his heart, as Draco and Hermione walked into one of the meeting rooms in the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Department.

Draco shot him a narrow eyed look while Hermione just shook her head and laughed. Theo moved around the table to pull her chair out for her, earning an eye roll from Draco who took a seat next to her. Theo took a seat on the other side of Hermione just as the door opened again and the Department Head walked in with Firenze following close behind.

"Firenze it's so good to see you." Hermione greeted warmly, standing to give the Centaur a hug.

"You as well Hermione. I hope that we can reach some sort of understanding today, though I was surprised to hear that you are championing for Mr. Malfoy here." Firenze said, moving to stand across the table from them.

"It's for a very good cause I assure you. I understand completely where the Council is coming from, but if you would just take this proposal back to them I'm sure they will see reason. Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Nott are being more than fair offering to pay for the expansion of the Centaur territories if they will not take the winter shelters. This particular plot of land just happens to be rich in ingredients needed for the particular potions this lab is meant to be creating." Hermione explained. She slid the thick proposal across the table and watched as Firenze thumbed through it and nodded in approval.

"All I can do is try and convince them that this is a good idea Hermione. I can't promise anything other than that. I may have risen quickly through the Council ranks but there are still some who think the colony shouldn't have accepted me back." Firenze explained.

"We completely understand your situation Firenze. Any help would be greatly appreciated." Draco said. Firenze turned his gaze towards Draco for the first time and seemed to appraise him for a few moments.

"You seem to have changed a great deal since I saw you last Mr. Malfoy." He said.

"He has changed Firenze, this lab is for St. Mungos, and it wouldn't even be possible without him and Theo financing it." Hermione said. Both Theo and Draco looked at her and smiled in appreciation.

"And if the Council says no? What will your plans be then?" Firenze asked.

"If the Council says no then we will have to move the lab elsewhere. It will end up costing more in growing and harvesting ingredients and we will have to build the lab farther from St. Mungos. The more expensive it gets the more investors we will have to bring in. The more investors, the less control we start having. In the end it may not being helpful for the hospital at all. We know the Centaurs don't care much for humans but St. Mungos treats them as well at times do they not?" Theo calmly explained.

"They do, and trust me when I say that I am fully behind you in support of the lab. If they end up not agreeing to this simply because they do not wish to work with the two of you what should I propose then?" Firenze asked.

"We will cross that bridge when the time comes." Draco said simply. Firenze nodded and moved to go around the table.

"Well you will be hearing from me sometime tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest hopefully." He said, reaching out to shake hands with both Theo and Draco.

"If there is anything we can help with at all on either sides just let me know." The Department Head said.

"Thank you so much for everything." Hermione said, as she hugged Firenze and shook hands with the Department Head.

"Well that went better than expected." Theo said, once it was just them three left in the meeting room.

"I guess we will just have to wait and see what he comes back with." Hermione said.

"Anyone fancy a pint?" Theo asked.

"Theo it's barely past noon." Draco drawled.

"We had a late breakfast with Harry and Ginny." Hermione said. Theo raised an eyebrow towards Draco who just rolled his eyes at him.

"Well then, guess I'll just go down and bug Blaise for a bit before heading back to work." Theo said.

"Oh, I'll walk down there with you. I actually have a meeting with their Department Head here in a bit. I thought that this meeting would take more time." Hermione said, following Theo out the door.

"Meeting with the Department Head? I thought we discussed you overseeing the lab after it was created?" Draco said in a hushed voice, grabbing her arm gently to stop her.

"I said I would think about it. But I got an owl earlier this morning from the office asking for a meeting about a potential job here. I just want to weigh my options Draco." Hermione said softly. He pulled his hand off of her arm and a look Hermione couldn't quite place flashed in his eyes.

"It's just a meeting Draco, and even if I did take the offer, I made it clear that I wouldn't be available until after this was finished." Hermione said.

"I guess I just figured that you would take my offer. But of course you would want to be near your friends." Draco said, his voice taking on a tone he hadn't used with her since their school days.

Hermione frowned at him and opened her mouth to say something when Theo calling her from across the floor interrupted her. She turned to look at him and when she turned back towards Draco she realized that he was walking away from her towards the opposite lift for the floos. She turned and walked towards Theo with a sad look on face.

"Everything ok?" He asked.

"Yes, everything is fine." She sighed, stepping in to the lift.

"Is he upset about your meeting?" Theo asked, following her in.

"He's always upset about something." Hermione muttered, shaking her head. Theo laughed and nodded his head in response.

"You got that right." He said.

They stepped out of the lift and she followed him through the room lined with small cubicles until they came to one with Blaise Zabini's name on it. The dark skinned Italian looked up from his desk and smiled when he saw Theo, his smile faltered however when he saw that Hermione was with him. She raised a hand in a half wave and smiled softly at him, remembering Draco's confession that Blaise used to have a thing for her back in school.

"Hi Blaise." She said.

"Hermione Granger. I heard you were back, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Blaise said smoothly.

"She's here for a meeting with your boss. I'm here to bug you." Theo said, sitting down in a chair and propping his feet up on the table.

"His office is around that corner and three doors down." Blaise smiled at her, pointing her in the right direction.

"Thank you. Theo I'll meet you back at the office?" Hermione asked.

"I'll wait till your done and we can go back together." Theo grinned at her. She nodded and walked away towards the office she needed to be at.

"She sure grew up." Blaise said, watching her walk away.

"Amazing what new clothes and a little makeup can do for a woman. If only it were so easy for blokes like you." Theo joked.

"Ha ha ha." Blaise deadpanned.

"Why do you sit here day in and day out doing paperwork? You own a fortune Blaise, why are you working some odd job at the Ministry?" Theo asked, rifling through the things on Blaise's desk.

"Because believe it or not I find this kind of work meaningful. I start the next round of Auror training soon and then I'll be out in the field. I like doing this kind of stuff." Blaise responded. Theo gave him a funny look and shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever makes you happy I suppose. Speaking of happy, how is Pansy?"

"More annoying than ever. She wants me to propose now, but I want to until after I'm finished with my training. It's not like she's after my money, her family has plenty of their own, so I really don't know what her rush is." Blaise answered.

"And this is why I'm single." Theo laughed.

"Speaking of being single, is there something going on between Draco and Granger?" Blaise asked. Theo swung his legs off of Blaise's desk and leaned forward in his chair.

"Why do you ask? Do you know something I don't?" Theo asked excitedly.

"Well Narcissa stopped by here the other day and asked me to tell her anything I could about Hermione. I thought it was an odd request that was coming out of no where. Until she told me that Draco had spent a few weeks with Hermione down in Australia and that she was coming back to help you guys with the Centaurs." Blaise said.

"I think something totally happened between them. You should see them together. Talk about sexual tension." Theo laughed leaning back in his chair.

"There's something I literally never thought I would hear." Blaise whistled.

"Yea it took me by surprise too. I get him asking her to help in this case, especially when I found out she knew someone on the Council, but I'm telling you when I found them in Australia they looked like they were about ready to shag each other on the dance floor."

"The dance floor? Draco was dancing? He never dances!" Blaise said.

"He was dancing Blaise I swear it. He bought her a flat, one that Narcissa oversaw the design of, put in a library for her and everything." Theo said, looking at his nails absentmindedly.

"What has she done to him?" Blaise asked with an incredulous look.

"What's who done to whom?" Hermione asked, walking back up to the cubicle.

"Talk about fast meetings this morning, done already Granger?" Theo asked standing up from his chair.

"Yea done already. What are you guys talking about?" She asked, leaning against the frame of the cubicle.

"Oh just talking guys talk. It was good to see you Hermione. Will we be seeing you at the Ministry Ball next week?" Blaise asked, changing the subject. Hermione blushed and smiled a small smile.

"Yes actually, I'll be attending with Draco." She said. Theo and Blaise gave each other a knowing look as Theo backed out of the cubicle and reached out to guide Hermione away.

"See you guys later." Blaise called after them, shaking his head and laughing.

* * *

Draco tried concentrating on his paperwork but found himself unable to stop thinking about Hermione. He gave a frustrated growl as he ran his hands through his hair and leaned back in his chair, turning it around towards the giant window behind him. He suppose he didn't really have a reason to be upset with her. After all she was right, she hadn't agreed to anything, she had said that she would think about it.

"Get a grip on yourself mate." He said to himself.

"Draco darling is something the matter?" His Mother's voice came from behind him. He swiveled his chair back around to face the front of his office where he found Narcissa standing.

"No Mother nothing is wrong. To what do I owe this pleasure?" He drawled, grabbing a pen and leaning back over his paperwork.

"I just wanted to stop by and see how the meeting went, and how Miss Granger liked her flat? I haven't seen you since you showed it to her." Narcissa said warmly, sitting across the desk from him.

"The meeting was short, Firenze can't promise anything, but he did say that we would hear from him by tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest, so he's not wasting time which is good because we're down to a few precious days." Draco said, leaning back in his chair again.

"And Miss Granger?" Narcissa prodded.

"She loves the flat, although I haven't exactly told her that you designed it." Draco said softly.

"That's quite alright I plan on meeting her at some point, I wanted to personally invite her to the Ministry Ball." Narcissa said.

"She's going with me so there's no need for that." Draco said, a small smile appearing on his face. Narcissa's face brightened with this news and seeing her son smile.

"Well I must take her shopping for a gown then!" She exclaimed.

"She's planning on going tomorrow with Ginny Weasley and a few other girls from school that she knows." Draco said.

"Oh, well I'll just owl over to Twilfitt and Tattings in the morning and make sure they put her gown on my tab." Narcissa said.

"Mother what is your obsession with trying to buy Granger's approval? If you are planning something to try and use her to better the Malfoy name because of her status I would stop right now. I will not have it." Draco's voice was hard and final.

He stared into Narcissa's eyes from across the table and softened his hard expression when he saw the hurt flash in her eyes as her shoulders slumped. After a few moments she regained her posture and spoke.

"I am not your Father Draco. I respect Harry Potter and his friends for what they did for the wizarding world. I am not trying to buy anyone's approval or use anyone's status to make our name grand again. I am simply trying to befriend the girl who has besotted my son."

"I am not besotted by her." Draco shook his head and furrowed his brows. Narcissa gave him a warm smile and gently laughed.

"Draco you forget I am your Mother, I know everything about you Son. You may try and fool yourself but you certainly are not fooling me. You've gone through great lengths to make her come back and make her return comfortable."

"Merlin Mother she lost her parents, I would have done the same for anyone else in that situation that was coming back here to help me. What makes you think I have feelings for her?" Draco said.

The second the words left his mouth he heard laughter coming from the hall and looked up to see Hermione walk through the door with Theo following right behind her. Narcissa turned and looked behind her before looking back at Draco.

"Mother's intuition." She whispered with a wink, standing and turning to face Hermione and Theo.

 **A few minutes earlier**

Hermione stepped out of the floo into Theo's office with Theo following right behind her. He dusted the soot off his robes before inspecting that she had gotten none on her white clothes.

"How is it that you don't get anything on those white clothes at all? Being careful is one thing but getting through a floo with no soot?" Theo asked incredulously.

"It's a simple charm I learned back in third year. I'll teach it to you sometime." Hermione laughed as they walked down the short hall to Draco's office. The door was slightly opened so she gently pushed it as she walked in, and quickly froze as she met the silver eyes of Narcissa Malfoy.

"Miss Granger. It's a pleasure to finally meet you properly." Narcissa said.

"And on that note I'll be in my office if anyone needs me." Theo said, walking right back out.

Hermione's eyes shifted from Narcissa to Draco, who was staring intently back at her, waiting to see how she would react. After a few moments Hermione looked back to Narcissa and gave a small nod.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well Mrs. Malfoy…properly." She said. Draco let out the breath he had been holding when he saw a small smile cross Hermione's face.

"I hear you're going to be accompanying Draco to the ball next week. I'm glad he found a reason to go, he usually refuses to attend these things." Narcissa said.

"Mother!" Draco scolded.

Hermione laughed at the look on Draco's face and took a few steps closer to the desk, forming a triangle between herself, Draco and Narcissa.

"I think he had planned on attending this one already. We decided that it would be beneficial for the new lab to perhaps get some press on the two of us working together. It was Harry's idea honestly."

"Hey I asked you before Potter opened his mouth about the press." Draco frowned.

"You suggested I tag along with you and your friends. It's not the same as actually asking." Hermione said.

"I dare say not. For your sake Draco you should hope that someone else doesn't ask Miss Granger properly, or you will find yourself without a date." Narcissa laughed.

"The ball isn't until next week, there _is_ plenty of time for a suitable man to ask me." Hermione goaded, as Narcissa nodded her head in agreement.

"As a matter of fact Miss Granger, I happen to know that Terence Higgs still doesn't have a date for the ball. His Mother and I are on the committee together."

"I remember Terence from school. He was always such a nice boy, especially for being in Slytherin." Hermione said, giving Draco a smirk.

"You two are absolutely ridiculous." Draco said incredulously, as the two women started laughing at the look on his face.

"Mr. Malfoy you have a floo call from St. Mungos." A lady's voice sounded from a device on Draco's desk.

"I'll let you get back to work darling. Miss Granger it was a pleasure, I would love if you would join us for dinner sometime before the ball?" Narcissa asked.

Hermione looked at her and shifted uncomfortably. Seeing her distress Narcissa immediately straightened and shook her head.

"Of course I understand that coming to the Manor wouldn't be comfortable for you." She said softly. Hermione relaxed instantly and smiled at her.

"Thank you for understanding Mrs. Malfoy, I'm honestly not sure if I'll ever be able to go there again." Hermione said.

"Of course dear." Narcissa nodded.

"Perhaps dinner at my flat would be more preferable?" Draco offered softly. Narcissa looked at Hermione hopefully and smiled when she nodded her head in agreement.

"Till then Miss Granger. I look forward to it." Narcissa said, before turning and disappearing through the floo.

Hermione turned to walk back out of the office so that Draco could take his call but Draco called out after her.

"Where are you going? I'm interested to hear how your meeting went." He said. Hermione stopped with her hand on the door and looked back at him.

"You have a floo call Mr. Malfoy." She quipped.

"So wait till it's over. I'm sure it won't take long." Draco argued. Hermione smirked at him as she opened the door.

"I think I'll go and research just what Terence Higgs is up to these days." She said, before disappearing out the door.

Draco just stared at the spot where she had just been with a look of shock mixed with annoyance. He shook his head as he went to allow the floo call to come through. A couple weeks of hanging around him and Hermione was starting to act like a Slytherin.

* * *

Hermione looked up from the book she was reading as she heard a tapping at the window. She was currently curled up in front of the fireplace in her library, Crookshanks in the chair opposite her. She stood and went over to the window, opening it to reveal a large Eagle Owl carrying a letter.

"Well hello handsome. What do you have there?" She asked as the owl settled on the sill of the window.

It held out its leg for her to take the letter as she scratched its head. She took the letter and set it on the sill, turning to go retrieve a treat for the owl from the kitchen. When she came back she found Crookshanks sitting on the floor looking up at the owl who was staring down at the cat with its feathers ruffled.

"Crookshanks leave the handsome boy alone." She scolded her cat as she held her hand out for the owl to take the treat. It hooted happily at her and nuzzled her hand before taking off after one last stare down to Crookshanks.

She shut the window, picking up the letter and turning it over to open it. She didn't recognize the owl, and there was no writing on the outside of the letter, but when she opened it she recognized the writing on the inside immediately. She smiled and shook her head as she read the familiar script.

 **Hermione,**

 **Will you do me the honor of accompanying me to the ball next week?**

 **Yours,**

 **Draco**

 **P.S. Terence Higgs has been called out of town that evening. Seems that Puddlemere United finally decided to give him a tryout. So sorry he's not available to take you.**

 **P.P.S. Did I mention that their manager is a friend of mine?**

"Prat." Hermione shook her head and laughed to herself as she went back to her place by the fireplace and picked up her book.

She tossed the letter into the fire, much to Crookshanks' distress, and laughed as she watched the cat try to catch the letter in midair before it landed in the flames.

"You're giving in too easy Crooks. It's fun to make him squirm." She laughed, opening her book and continuing where she had left off.

Crookshanks sniffed at her and walked out of the library.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Please please please review! Your guys' reviews are literally what keep me going!


	8. Chapter 8

So apparently editing chapters at two in the morning, under the influence of my doctor prescribed cough syrup, isn't a good idea since I had so many reviews pointing out the many mistakes of the last chapter. Not only was it discouraging but uninspiring which is why this chapter is so late. Sorry.

Thank you to CherryAngel94, R. Firefly, h0nebunny16, Jade Wildcat, clo06ud, SmileForMyFist, , Danish Fantasy Girl, L.M.D.A.A, nejisakura, Winnie Wanza, airi-07, NinjaPenguinLover, mesa24, HippieLove1312, and I take people's whits for adding the story to your favorites.

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 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

Draco looked up from his desk when a note was set in front of his face. He had been so engulfed in his work that he hadn't even heard someone walk in. He had to hold back a smirk when he saw Hermione standing over him wearing her own smug smirk. He leaned back in his chair, picking up the letter and unfolding it.

 **I suppose since the best choice is unavailable I'll have to settle for second best.**

He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow and watched as she smiled, admiring her nails.

"So Terrence Higgs is the best choice hmm? Did you ever so much as even speak to him in school?" He asked her.

"We may not have spoken but I haven't forgotten how dashing he looked at the Yule Ball." Hermione goaded.

"More dashing than me? And he makes the better choice just because of looks? That's preposterous, not to mention shallow." Draco chided.

"Well it is you that's taking me now isn't it? So being second best can't be all that bad. Besides _you_ lecturing _me_ about being shallow is a laugh."

"You are infuriating you know that?" Draco rolled his eyes at her. She laughed in return as Theo walked into Draco's office.

"We've heard back from the Council." Theo said, with a frustrated look on his face.

"Judging by your expression I'm guessing it wasn't good?" Draco asked.

"They want to speak with Granger, alone. With neither of us there." Theo said, dropping into the chair beside Hermione.

"Yes, that's usually what alone means." Hermione mumbled. Theo rolled his eyes at her.

"What? That's not happening. Why do they need to speak with her alone? She isn't in charge of any of this." Draco argued. Theo shrugged his shoulders.

"If Firenze got them to agree to at least meet with Granger what does it matter? It just means that we are that much closer to finalizing all of this." Theo said.

"I can do this Draco. It's just a meeting." Hermione said. Draco sighed and rubbed his temples, letting out a long breath.

"Alright, when do they want her to meet them?" He asked.

"In about an hour, on their territory, they don't want to meet at the Ministry." Theo answered.

"That soon? I was supposed to go shopping with Ginny, I suppose I'll send an owl to let her know I'll have to cancel." Hermione said, with a slight frown on her face.

"I'll go shopping with Weasley for you Granger." Theo waggled his eyebrows at her. She shook her head and laughed.

"Actually that's not a bad idea." Draco said. Hermione turned to look at him with an incredulous look on her face.

"Are you serious?" Hermione asked.

"Why not? We can show up in your place. We do have impeccable taste after all, you can count on us to get you something very pretty." Theo laughed.

"If you get the Council to agree there really won't be a lot of time between now and the ball, so why not? I promise I'll get you something Granger-ish." Draco said.

Hermione looked between the two men and shook her head in disbelief. What exactly was her life becoming?

* * *

Ginny looked up, as the bell on the door dinged to Madam Malkin's, and grimaced when she saw Theo and Draco walk in. She shrugged her shoulders as Angelina and Katie gave her a confused look as she walked over to the two men.

"Where is Hermione?" She asked.

"What, no good morning? How are you? And we were all so friendly at brunch yesterday too." Draco said sarcastically. Ginny had the grace to look ashamed and smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry I just wasn't expecting to see you guys here." Ginny said.

"Hermione got called into a meeting with the Council so we decided to come pick her out something pretty for the ball." Theo chuckled.

There was a short silence as the girls all looked at each other and then back to the guys.

"So what, you thought that you would shop for gowns with us?" Angelina asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I'll be purchasing Granger's gown at Twilfitt and Tattings. We came to let you know that she won't be coming, and that there was no time for her to send you an owl, and she's apologizes." Draco laughed.

"Oh I passed by there the other day and they have this beautiful gown in the window! There's no way I could ever afford it but I'm dying to at least try it on." Katie said.

"Well why don't we just go with you guys while we're waiting for our fitting appointment? They're awfully busy this morning. I'm assuming you're just picking up her gown?" Angelina asked.

"No I'm picking _out_ her gown." Draco said curtly.

"Since when did you and Hermione become so close? I thought you hated her?" Katie asked, with a hint of suspicion.

"Not that I owe any sort of explanation to you but I certainly don't _hate_ Granger. I haven't _hated_ Granger for quite some time. You could call us friends, at the moment you could call us co-workers." Draco said.

"You could call them a little more than that." Everyone looked towards Theo as he gave a short laugh and muttered under his breath.

Draco turned and scowled at him, as Ginny tried to hide a smile, while the other two girls started making sounds of shock and disbelief.

* * *

Hermione walked into a small clearing, in the woods that were part of the Centaur territory. She was pleased with her decision to wear a pantsuit today instead of a skirt and jacket. She had come alone, much to Draco and Theo's dismay, but she trusted that she would be in good hands with Firenze.

"Hello Hermione, thank you for coming on your own, I'm sure Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Nott were none too pleased when they received the letter that the Council wanted to talk to only you." Firenze said.

"They weren't exactly happy but they really want the Council to agree, so they were ok with sending me on my own." Hermione said, smiling and giving him a hug.

He led her further into the clearing, where she saw a group of Centaurs that looked larger and more menacing than Firenze. When they saw her approaching they spread out into a half circle, the largest of them in the center, and fell silent.

"Allow me to introduce Hermione Granger. She'll be speaking on behalf of Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Nott." Firenze said.

He nudged her forward and she gave a slight bow to the head of the Council, who she recognized as Bane, the Centaur who had taken Umbridge and chased her and Harry out of the forest in their fifth year.

"I remember you Miss Granger. You did a great deal to aid Mr. Potter in the Battle at Hogwarts." Bane said.

"Yes, I remember you as well, though I can't say the circumstances of our last meeting were wonderful." Hermione said, her voice shaking slightly.

She looked around the Council for the face of the Centaur that had almost carried her off along with Umbridge, despite her trying to save him from the ropes that Umbridge had cast on him. But she didn't see any other faces that she recognized.

"If you are looking for Magorian he is no longer a part of this Council. He was badly injured in the Battle at Hogwarts and keeps to himself mostly in a secluded part of the forest." The voice held a kindness that she wasn't prepared for from anyone on the Council.

She found the face it belonged to and gave the Centaur a warm smile. He smiled back and bowed his head in respect to her.

"My name is Ronan, and during this process you will have my full support, I happen to think that the proposal for the lab to help St. Mungos is a wonderful idea." He said.

"There are those of us on the Council who don't think the idea is so wonderful. Working with a known Death Eater? It's preposterous!" Someone cried out.

"Draco Malfoy switched sides and helped the Order of the Phoenix. He was a spy, just like Severus Snape was. Dumbledore trusted him, Harry Potter trusts him now. He's been more than generous in offering to build winter shelters for your colony." Hermione explained.

"Generous? We don't need winter shelters! The Ministry continues to take our land and drive us out of our territory and now they want us to work with a Death Eater!" This came from a Centaur who was standing right next to Bane.

"He's offered to expand your territory in the opposite direction. He'll pay for the costs to buy the land for you." Hermione argued.

"Then we will be forever in his debt! That's what he wants! He wants to own us!"

"No! No he doesn't want to own you! Look, I understand your reservations about working with him, but I assure you he is a changed man. All he wants is to be able to build on your land for the purpose of all the ingredients that grow in the area. The Ministry didn't want him to buy more land to expand yours, he offered that solution all on his own in place of the winter shelters." Hermione said.

"How is it that a best friend of Harry Potter is here championing for a Malfoy?! For a Death Eater?!"

Hermione looked at Firenze with worry etched in her features. Centaurs were known for being stubborn. She just hadn't expected them to be _this_ stubborn.

"If Mr. Potter were to give Mr. Malfoy his support would you feel differently?" Firenze asked.

"Be careful Firenze. We accepted you back after Magorian went into isolation. Not all of us were in agreement to do so." The Centaur next to Bane spoke again.

"The Council will not give their consent to anything having to do with Death Eaters." An old Centaur on the edge of the crescent spoke.

"To Harry Potter and Hermione Granger however, we could possibly come to an arrangement." Ronan said.

Hermione widened her eyes in surprise. This wasn't going the way she had expected at all. There was no way Harry could have anything to do with this. He was an Auror and he wasn't exactly friends with Draco. There wasn't even any possibility that Draco would hand everything over to Harry. Suddenly she got an idea, one that she was sure wasn't going to please Draco, but would give him what he had been wanting.

"What about me? Would the Council be willing to work with just me on this?" She asked.

Firenze looked up towards Bane and nodded in agreement. There were murmurs all around for a few moments until they went quiet again and then all eyes were on her.

"Perhaps we can work out some sort of agreement Miss Granger." Bane said.

Hermione gulped. Draco was going to kill her.

* * *

Ginny watched, as Draco and Theo talked with the head dress maker of Twilfitt and Tattings, as she walked along a row of beautiful gowns. She didn't think she had ever seen Draco genuinely smile, and she had to admit he looked happy while dealing with something that seemed so beneath him. The dress maker nodded enthusiastically and walked into the back, while Draco and Theo walked towards her.

"So, you're having something special made for Hermione?" Ginny asked, running her hands over a navy blue gown.

"Of course. She needs something unique, I don't want her on my arm in anything less than perfect." Draco said. Ginny rolled her eyes at him while putting the gown back.

"Why don't you try it on? Navy is a good color for you, it brings out your eyes." Theo said, pulling the gown back off the rack and handing it to her. Ginny blushed and took it from him before placing it back on the rack.

"No sense in trying it on, I could never afford it." She said sheepishly.

"Try it on." Theo said, grabbing the gown again.

She took it from him, her cheeks a deep shade of red, and went off towards the dressing room where Angelina and Katie were playing dress up. Theo laughed and looked over to Draco who was looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"What?!" He cried out.

"She's dating Potter you idiot. Don't even go there." Draco drawled.

"Aww it's just a little harmless flirting. I wouldn't dream of trying to break up the Golden Couple." Theo said.

"Katie that dress looks beautiful!" They heard Angelina cry out.

They turned to see Katie standing there in the dress from the window gushing at herself in the mirror. Angelina had taken the opportunity to try on a dress as well, and was standing there in a long flowy peach dress next to Katie in her deep crimson one. Ginny came out of her dressing room wearing the strapless navy dress made of a gauzy material.

"See Weasley? Told you it would bring out your eyes!" Theo yelled over to her. She caught his eye in the mirror and rolled hers in return.

"If anyone had told me a year ago that I would be sitting here in a dress shop watching a bunch of Gryffindors play dress up I would have hexed them into oblivion." Draco muttered, as he watched the giggling girls twirl around in the mirror.

"Mr. Malfoy I have the drawing ready for you to inspect." The dress maker said, coming out from the back of the shop.

Draco walked over to her with Theo, unaware that the girls all came up behind them to peer at the drawing. He looked it over and grinned and gave a nod to the lady.

"It's perfect." He said.

"She's going to love it! It's gorgeous!" Ginny swooned. Draco glanced behind him with an annoyed look at the three girls peering over his shoulder.

"Have you decided on a color?" The dress maker asked.

"White." Both Draco and Theo answered in unison. They looked at each other and chuckled.

"She does look just absolutely ravishing in white." Theo waggled his eyebrows.

"That she does." Draco agreed.

The girls all exchanged looks with raised eyebrows and headed off to change out of their gowns.

"Thanks for letting us tag along to kill time." Angelina called out behind her.

"Yea you guys aren't so bad." Katie said, disappearing behind her dressing room curtain.

"Yea I suppose we aren't so bad." Theo said. Draco looked towards the girls and then back to Theo with a grin on his face.

"Uh oh I know that grin, whatever you're thinking, I want in." Theo said. Draco laughed and shook his head as they headed towards the exit.

"We will owl you when it's ready Mr. Malfoy, it should be ready by the end of the day." The lady at the front said.

"Thank you Lucinda. Why don't you package up those dresses for the girls in the dressing room as well. Put them on my tab." Draco said.

The lady nodded enthusiastically as she went to retrieve the dresses that were now hanging on the outside of the girl's curtains.

"Well that was generous of you." Theo said.

"Imagine the look on Potter and the Weasley twin's faces when their birds go home and tell them that I bought their gowns for the ball." Draco laughed. Theo grinned and shook his head as they walked down the road back to their office.

Ginny, Katie and Angelina thanked Lucinda at the front for allowing them to try on the gowns, as they went to leave the shop a few minutes later. Lucinda clapped her hands in delight as she held out the boxes to each girl.

"Mr. Malfoy purchased them for you. He's a handsome devil isn't he?" Lucinda gushed, as the girls took their boxes with dumbfounded looks.

"Malfoy paid for these?" Ginny asked. Lucinda nodded and walked away to attend to another group of witches that had just walked in.

"Merlin's beard it must have cost him a fortune!" Katie said.

"Why would he pay for our gowns?" Angelina asked.

"I have a feeling he fancies Hermione. I think he's trying to do something nice for her friends to impress her." Ginny said softly.

"And you're ok with that?!" Angelina shouted.

"He seems like he's changed, I think when he found her right after the accident with her parents, they were both in a vulnerable state. He needed something from her and she needed someone familiar to be there for her. He put aside his needs at the time to be there for her, after not seeing her for months, and having never been friendly with her before." Ginny explained.

Angelina and Katie both nodded in understanding. George and Fred had explained everything to them after their lunch with Hermione.

"Like I said before, he _did_ save her at the Battle at Hogwarts. Maybe it all started before then?" Katie offered.

"They're good together. When you see them, you'll understand." Ginny said.

"Well that's all well and good but speaking of understanding, how are we going to explain this to the guys?" Angelina asked, holding her box up.

Ginny blanched. What _was_ she going to tell Harry?

* * *

Hermione nervously played with her hands as she sat in Draco's office, waiting for him to get out of a meeting with Theo and some men who ran a hospital in Ireland. The contract that she had signed, and was now legally bound to, was sitting on Draco's desk staring up at her. She scowled at it and reached to flip it over, as silly as it seemed, but froze when she heard Draco's and Theo's voices.

"Ah the lovely maiden is back! Were we successful or do we have to challenge them to a duel?!" Theo yelled, crouching down and unsheathing a pretend sword.

"I would say we were successful." She said, her voice coming out small and quiet.

Theo and Draco immediately stiffened at the tone of her voice. Theo came to sit beside her and Draco went to sit behind his desk. Draco raised an eyebrow at her hand on the contract.

"Is this the proposal they sent back?" He asked, reaching for it.

"No!" Hermione cried, snatching it off the desk and cradling it to her chest.

"Granger, what is it then?" Draco asked slowly.

"It's a contract." She managed to squeak out.

"I'm sorry did you just say it's a contract? How did you get a contract drawn up if we weren't there to sign it? Oh I get it, you brought it for us to sign!" Theo exclaimed. Hermione shook her head, eyes never leaving Draco's.

"What did you do?" Draco asked, voice rising in anger.

"You don't understand what it was like Draco. They were so menacing. There was only one other Centaur in our favor other than Firenze." Hermione started explaining.

"So how did you draw up a contract?" Theo asked.

"They didn't want to work with you Draco. They only seemed interested if Harry and I were heading the project." Hermione said in a small voice.

"How did Potter get brought up?! This has nothing to do with him!" Draco yelled, thumping his fists on the desk.

"I know! So I talked them into dealing with just me." She said, mumbling as she put her head down.

"Come again?" Theo asked. Hermione took a deep breath and raised her head, looking straight into Draco's eyes.

"I convinced them to work with only me. Your name will not be on the project. You guys are to simply be a benefactor for _my_ project. They know this and are ok with dealing with things that way. They also want to expand their land rather than take the winter shelters."

"So let me get this straight. They _know_ that Theo and I are going to be funding the whole thing but our names can't be a part of it? And they also want to use _my_ money to expand their territory?! If they know that we are going to be funding it then what the bloody hell does it matter if our names are on the project?!"

"You also can't have anything to do with the building of the lab. You aren't allowed on the property until it's completed. At that time they will relinquish all claim on that piece of land in return for the expansion of their territory." Hermione said quickly.

Draco looked at her incredulously, his mouth open and gaping like a fish. They just stared at each other for what seemed like forever until the sound of Theo's laughter brought them out of their trance.

"Well I guess she got the job done didn't she?" He said between laughs.

"I know it's silly, and petty, and stupid but it was what they would agree to Draco. I thought this option was better than the alternative, which was no deal and no land for you guys." Hermione said softly.

Draco's eyes softened as her shoulders slumped and she turned her gaze downward. He was about to speak when Theo's secretary sounded over the speaker on his desk.

"Mr. Nott you have a floo call waiting in your office."

"Thank you Granger. You did exactly what we asked you to do. I wanna hear the specifics later!" He yelled, as he walked out of Draco's office.

Hermione smiled at him as he left before turning her gaze back to Draco.

"I really am sorry Draco. I know this wasn't what you had in mind." She said.

Draco sighed and got up from his chair, moving around to sit on the edge of his desk in front of her. He looked down at her and noticed the look in her eyes was one of failure. She felt like she had failed him. He found that bothered him greatly.

"Granger you did exactly what I hired you to do. I can't say that I'm particularly pleased with the outcome but I'll look the contract over, I trust you. Besides, since you are technically in mine and Theo's employment it's not like I can't have any say in what happens with the lab." He said.

"That was the point of you being the benefactor. All the ideas, the layout of the lab, everything will be just as you wanted it to be. I agree with everything you wanted to do for it Draco. They don't have to know that it's your plans and not my own. Because I wouldn't have done anything differently." She said, looking up at him.

"You wouldn't have changed anything?" He asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow at her. She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Well maybe a few things." She said.

They both laughed and settled into a comfortable silence, Hermione bowing her head to look down. Draco reached a hand down and cupped her chin, lifting her face to look back up at him.

"Thank you." He said.

"You're welcome." She whispered.

Draco moved his hand from her chin to the side of her face, unconsciously lowering his face to hers. She looked up at him through her thick lashes and turned her head up towards his. They inched closer together slowly, until their lips were just a few inches apart.

Draco realized that he was holding his breath, waiting for her to close the gap between them, so he knew it was what she wanted. She shifted slightly closer to him in her chair, it was a subtle movement but it was all he needed.

Their lips touched for only a second, a short chaste kiss, before they crushed their lips back together in a more fevered lip lock. Draco stood and pulled Hermione up out of her chair, turning her around so that she was seated on his desk, his lips never leaving hers. He stepped between her legs, and reached up to tangle a hand in her hair, the other grasping her thigh, while she ran her hands up his chest and around the back of his head to pull him closer to her.

"Mr. Malfoy the potions team from St. Mungos is here to speak with you." His secretary's voice rang out from the desk.

They sprang away from each other, breathing heavily, at the sudden noise. They looked at each other for a few moments before Hermione slid down off the desk and straightened her blouse.

"I should go." She said.

Draco could only nod in return. Not another word was spoken as she grabbed the contract off his desk and walked out the door. Draco ran a hand through his hair and straightened his suit jacket, calling out to his secretary that it was ok to show the potions team in.

The whole meeting however, all he could think about was her lips on his and how it had felt so right, like they belonged there. He laughed ironically inside his head as he likened it to the feeling of coming home.

Ironic indeed.

* * *

Hermione stepped into her flat, yawning, and calling out for Crookshanks.

"Sorry I'm so late buddy. The meeting at the Ministry took longer than I thought." She said, as she put some food into his bowl.

As soon as she had left Draco's office she had taken a few minutes to compose herself, before heading to the Ministry to meet with the Department Head to finalize the contract. Since Firenze was sort of an ambassador between the Ministry and the Centaurs, they had recognized him as a suitable Ministry official to have witnessed the signing of the contract. But there were a lot of stipulations on both the Council and Hermione's end of the deal, so finalizing everything had taken quite a bit of time.

She walked into the living room and laid down on the couch, throwing her arm over her eyes. To say that she had been distracted during the meeting would be an understatement. Her mind kept wandering off to that moment, the feeling of Draco's lips on hers, the feel of his hands gripping her thighs. She felt herself growing warm and the memory and she smiled and shook her head.

Crookshanks jumped up and dropped something on her chest. She grabbed the shiny object while scratching his head, and realized she had no idea where it had come from. It was a beautiful large diamond earring in the shape of a teardrop, with a smaller diamond stud at the base, both encrusted in smaller diamonds. She sat up quickly and looked down at her cat.

"Crooks, where did you get this?" She asked, astonished. He just meowed at her and padded off into her bedroom. She got up and followed him and gasped when she entered her room.

The most beautiful dress she had ever seen had been enchanted to stand on its own, in the corner of her room. It was complete with shoes and a lone earring sitting on her dresser next to it. She placed the earring that Crookshanks had brought to her next to its twin, and picked up the two notes that were attached to the dress.

 **Told you we would pick you out something pretty-Theo**

She laughed and shook her head, setting the note down on the dresser before opening the second one.

 **Only the best for MY best choice.**

She didn't need him to sign it to know that it was from Draco. She brought a hand to her mouth and laughed. She ran her hands over the white glittery gown and took a deep breath. It was absolutely stunning.

"I think I'm in trouble, Crooks." She whispered.

Crookshanks rubbed against her legs and meowed in response. She laughed as she bent down to pick him up.

"Yes, I know how much you like him. I like him too…I like him too."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** For those of you who would like visuals I will have photos of Hermione's dress and accessories and Ginny's dress and accessories by the Ministry Ball chapter. If you want them I will send you them via PM. Until then please review!


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Oh my lovely lovely readers! I LOVE that I am turning some of you Fremione fans into Dramione fans! I love that some of you are upset with Fred for not fighting for our lovely Hermione, and that some of you who were rooting for Fred are now rooting for Draco. Fear not my amazing readers, for this chapter has a little fun to stir things up, just when we thought we all knew how the story was going to end.

For those of you who wanted to see Hermione and Ginny's dresses, for some reason I can't send pictures through the PM system on the site. I have uploaded the cover photo of the story as a photo of what I imagine Hermione's dress as, only I imagine it white. I hope that gives you guys a good idea!

Thank you to Curiostiy- Or n0t, Kimyy Marissa, mcott13, scorpryena, ReddRover, periwinkle94, Taisho Samara, meil04, Cleo T, itsfallenangel, x-charlieanne-x, kanika99, LindzM89, SabishiiSekkai, crunchie5555, Makele.880, 0826, SunLover92, Bella67x, HighHeelCandy, lili h raikova, Starskiller23, adrianalltheway, Starlywarly, Daniela0727, hoaiph07, profrost, and BlondeBlueEyedDreamer for adding the story to your alerts list.

Thank you to Curiostiy- Or n0t, scorpryena, ReddRover, jackiepie, Cleo T, itsfallenangel, LindzM89, 0826, HighHeelCandy, lili h raikova, and profrost for adding the story to your favorites.

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 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

Hermione walked along the main street of Hogsmeade, thumbing through paperwork, on her way to The Three Broomsticks. She hadn't seen Draco or Theo in a few days due to the construction of the lab starting up. Since they weren't allowed near the construction site, it was up to her to travel back and forth to oversee everything.

She had considered renting a room at the pub for the time it was going to take for the lab to be completed, but had decided in the end that she didn't want to be away from Crookshanks or her friends. Madame Rosmerta had been kind enough to let her use her private floo for being able to travel back and forth. Hermione had made a mental note to get her a nice gift of thanks when the lab was complete.

"Hermione!"

She looked up from the stack of papers and saw Fred waving to her from across the street. She smiled and waved back as he made his way over to her.

"Hi Fred, what brings you to Hogsmeade today?"

He flashed her a dazzling smile. "Well it was George's turn to open the shop, so I came to look at properties for the new store. What are you doing over this way?"

"Overseeing the construction of the new lab, I was just about to grab some lunch, would you care to join me?"

"I thought you'd never ask." He offered her his arm.

It was a short walk to the pub and Madame Rosmerta smiled brightly at them when they walked in. After exchanging hello's they took a table close to the back, away from all the noise that was closer to the bar top.

"So, who would have thought that you would be working for Draco Malfoy? He seems like he hasn't changed much since school." Fred said, after they had ordered their food.

"He has changed. A lot actually, he switched sides before the end of the war you know?" Hermione bristled.

He put his hands up in mock surrender. "No need to get defensive love. I know you're a good judge of character, just wasn't really what I had imagined for you once the war was over."

"And what did you imagine for me, Fred? That I would marry your brother and pop out a brood of little red headed children?"

Fred leaned back in his chair and gave her a pointed look. "Now you're starting to sound like him."

Hermione narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to say something but Fred continued, cutting her off.

"And for the record marrying Ron and having a bunch of children wasn't what I would have imagined for you either. I love my brother, but you weren't mean to be with him, you need someone that will challenge you. I also imagined you working at the Ministry, setting all the house elves free and championing for werewolf rights."

Hermione laughed. "I always imagined myself working with magical creatures, helping them, and helping others. So I guess right now with what I'm doing, I have the best of both worlds."

"And what of Malfoy's world? You seem to be settling into that quite nicely."

"What is that supposed to mean, Fred?"

"He bought you a nice new flat, a new wardrobe from the looks of it, taking you to the Ministry Ball and bought you a pretty gown for said ball. Did you know that he bought gowns for the girls? Ginny I can see him trying to suck up to, but Angelina and Katie too? That's a bit odd, don't you think?"

"First off, I bought my own new wardrobe in Australia, before Draco even went down there. Second, I'm paying him back for the flat. Third, the only reason he paid for my gown, was because I couldn't be there to go shopping with Ginny. No, I didn't have any idea he bought Angelina and Katie their gowns as well, but if I know Draco it was probably to get a rise out of you guys, looks like it worked." She smirked at him.

"Who _are_ you right now? Do you even hear yourself? Arguing with me about Draco bloody Malfoy?"

"He isn't so bad once you get to know him. In fact, if you just gave him a chance I think you would find that you guys would get along rather beautifully."

Fred stared at her, mouth open and eyes wide, for what seemed like minutes. Hermione looked down at the table, uncomfortable with the way the conversation was heading. It made her sad to fight with Fred, to fight with someone that she had been friends with for so long, to see him unable to stop clinging to the past and see that people change. That Draco had changed.

Deciding to change the subject, Hermione leaned back in her chair and looked back up at him. "How are your parents?"

"You would know, if you had been by to visit them. Mom was ecstatic you were finally returning home, but you haven't even sent them so much as an owl."

Hermione felt ashamed. It was true, she hadn't been by to see Molly and Arthur yet, she made a mental note to send Molly an owl when she got home and make plans to stop there for dinner soon. This thought made her think about the dinner she was supposed to be attending at Draco's later that night with him and his Mother.

Their food came and they ate in silence until Fred spoke, unable to contain himself any longer. "I heard you. I haven't told anyone else, I wanted you to be the first to know."

"Come again?" Hermione looked up, puzzled.

"When everyone thought I was dead, I could still hear _everything_ , I was aware of everything going on around me. It killed me knowing that you were all out there fighting for your lives, and there was nothing that I could do to help anyone." He whispered.

"Oh Fred, I'm so sorry, that must have been terrible for you." She reached across the table and took her hand in his.

He gave her a weak smile and gently squeezed her hand. "It wasn't all so bad I guess. I did get to hear a rather stirring confession from a certain witch."

Hermione froze, the wheels in her head turning, as she remembered leaning over and whispering to him about how she felt.

"You know I never really had a _type_ , Hermione."

"Fred, I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything, just know that if there had ever been any inkling of your feelings for me back then, I would have returned them. You're brilliant Hermione, and even when you were angry and threatening to tell Mom on us I thought that you were beautiful. I guess it's true what they say, opposites do attract." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Hermione lowered her eyes for a moment and found herself thinking of Draco. Here Fred was, telling her that he felt the same way as she had back in Hogwarts, and all she could think about after his last sentence was how she and Draco were polar opposites. But she had more in common with Draco than she ever had with Fred.

"I'm not with Katie. I know George seems to think so, he pushes her on me every chance he gets, but we aren't together. I am taking her to the ball, but only as friends."

Hermione shook her head. "What are you saying, Fred?"

"I'm saying that I don't know what is going on with you and Malfoy, but I know that it was _me_ you fancied only months ago, and I'm telling you that I return those feelings. You don't have to say anything right now, I'm not going to push you. But now you know."

Hermione swallowed hard, feeling like the room was closing in on her. Her breathing quickened and she stood abruptly from the table. "I really should be getting back to the lab."

Fred nodded and stood as well. "Lunch is on me. Think about what I said."

He lifted her hand and kissed it, before she hastily made her way out of the pub, and headed back towards the construction site. Both unaware that there had been a man with a camera sitting only a few tables away.

* * *

Draco sat at the head of his dining room table, Narcissa on his left, tapping his fingers on top of the wood. A mildly annoyed look was settled on his face, while Narcissa wore one of slight concern as she watched her Son out of the corner of her eye.

Hermione was late for dinner, she was rarely late for anything, Draco had learned this from their time at Hogwarts. He knew that she was overseeing the construction of the lab, but the evening edition of the Prophet had a picture of her at lunch that afternoon splashed across the front page. A picture of her holding hands with that Weasley twin he had found her with only a few nights ago. The one she had told him was just a friend.

He didn't know why he was so upset by it, well that was a lie he knew perfectly well _why_ he was upset, but he had no claim on her therefore he didn't really have a _right_ to be upset. But had their kiss meant nothing to her? Draco had been fighting with himself over his growing feelings for her, but when he finally decided to give in to temptation this is what he got for it? No, he had every right to be upset, and the fact that she was late was just added fuel to the fire.

A knock on the door stirred him out of his thoughts and he stood from the table. Narcissa reached out and laid her hand on his arm stopping him momentarily.

"Draco, you don't know the context of the photo. Be gentle." She said, softly.

He gave a short nod of understanding and went to answer the door, having given specific orders for his house elf to let him greet Hermione when she arrived.

Hermione stood there, hair brushing the tops of her shoulders in soft waves, wearing a simple white summer dress with a floral pattern. She stood there looking at him sheepishly as he made no move to let her in, but instead just glared at her.

"I'm sorry I'm late." She said, after a few moments. Draco just continued to glare at her and she looked down at the ground. "I'm assuming you saw the Prophet then?"

"Yes I saw the Prophet, my Mother saw the Prophet, the entire Wizarding community of London has seen the Prophet I'm sure. What, did you think that since we had a signed contract now you could cause a scandal?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "For your information, Fred isn't seeing Katie so there would be no scandal."

There was something that flashed in Draco's eyes that Hermione couldn't quite place. If she had to guess she would have thought that it was hurt. She softened her gaze and reached out to touch his arm that was still holding the door.

"We're just friends, I told you that before. You know that the people at the Prophet like to spin things out of context."

Draco seemed to ponder this for a moment before moving aside and allowing her to walk in. She followed him quietly into the dining room, where Narcissa stood and greeted her with a smile.

"Lovely to see you again, Miss Granger."

Hermione nodded at her before sitting in the chair that Draco had pulled out for her. "You as well, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Please, call me Narcissa. How is the lab coming along? Draco tells me that you were able to make some improvements to his original plans?"

Hermione blushed and nodded, fiddling with the edge of the place mat that was in front of her. "They were just some minor changes."

"You redid a whole bloody section of the lab!" Draco cried, as a small house elf came out of a door behind him with a bottle of wine.

Hermione straightened in her seat immediately, a look of anger crossing her features. It quickly dissipated however, as she watched the house elf greet Draco in a happy manner, set the bottle on the table and walk back into the room that it had come out of. She also realized that the house elf was wearing a little toga tied at the waist with a sash that looked to be made of silk. She looked at Draco with a raised eyebrow and scowled as he laughed at her, while reaching for the bottle to pour them all wine.

"That would be Missy, and I pay her generously for her work." He chuckled.

Beside him Narcissa gave a light laugh as she took a glass of wine from him. "She also has a love of Parisian silks. I make it a point to get her new ones when I travel."

Hermione looked at them both incredulously before relaxing and taking a glass of wine from Draco. Her hand brushed his when she took the glass, making her think of earlier in the day when she had reached for Fred's hand across the table. She snapped out of her daze when she realized that Narcissa had asked her a question, but she hadn't been paying attention and now both she and Draco were staring at her with concerned looks.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if you had ever been to Paris?" Narcissa repeated.

Hermione nodded and took a sip of her wine. "My parents and I used to go once a year during the summer."

Draco shot Narcissa a glare and she looked like a deer caught in headlights. "I'm so sorry dear, Draco told me what happened to your parents. It must be terribly hard not having any family around."

Hermione dazed out again at Narcissa's words. She did have family, since her first year at Hogwarts Harry and the Weasley's had been like a second family to her. One that she had neglected since she came back. All thoughts and feelings for Fred aside, she should have gone to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sooner.

When she had made it home that evening before heading to Draco's, she had sent out an owl to Molly asking if she could stop by the next evening for dinner. Of course her owl had returned quickly, before she left, with Molly's elated reply of "yes, of course!" She had a feeling that everyone would be there, that meant that she was going to have to see Fred again. She wondered how _he_ felt about their picture being on the front page.

Narcissa looked at Draco with a confused and worried expression. She watched as her Son watched the girl on his right, a look she had never seen on his face before. "Perhaps we could try again tomorrow night? It seems Miss Granger has had a long day."

Her words snapped Hermione out of her daze again and she shook her head. "I'm sorry, it has been a long day. And I do still have family around, the Weasley's have been like a second family to me for years."

Draco stiffened and Narcissa looked taken aback for a moment. The older witch chose her next words carefully so as to not upset either her Son nor Hermione. "You still have a close relationship with members of the Weasley family then?"

"I've always been close to Ron and Harry. As I'm sure you know, we've been best friends since our first year at Hogwarts. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have been like a second Mother and Father to me, and Ginny is like my sister."

"And what of the young man you were photographed with earlier?"

"His name is Fred, he owns the joke shop with his twin brother George, he and Hermione are just friends." Draco answered for her.

Hermione nodded in agreement, though her mind was shrugging its shoulders and screaming it didn't know what the hell was going on. She took another sip of her wine, it was going to be a long night.

* * *

Hermione flopped herself onto her bed and threw her arm over her eyes. Crookshanks jumped up onto the bed and curled up on her chest, purring loudly. To say that dinner had been a disaster would be an understatement in her eyes. All she kept thinking about was what Fred had said, but how could she possibly be thinking of that when Draco kept looking at her with those tempting grey eyes of his?

"What am I going to do, Crooks? I can't believe Fred actually had feelings for me back in Hogwarts!"

Crookshanks gave a low yowl and flexed his claws into her chest. She removed her arm from her eyes and glared at him.

"Yes, I know that you prefer Draco."

He relaxed his claws and settled back into his purring. She ran her hands along him, petting him in a soothing manner.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door that made her bolt upright. She checked her alarm clock on the side of her bed as she moved to answer the door. It was a little past nine in the evening, who would be stopping by her flat this late at night?

"Who is it?" She called through the door.

"It's Ginny. Sorry I didn't owl before I came."

Hermione unlocked the door and opened it, allowing Ginny into the flat. "Hey Gin. Is everything alright?"

"Oh yes, everything is fine. I just wanted to come see how you were doing, you know after that photo of you and Fred in the paper and all that. Beside,s I haven't seen your flat yet! Show me around!"

Hermione laughed, and began giving her the grand tour. When they were finished, she made them some tea and they settled into the living room.

"So, you and Fred, photo in the paper. Spill!" Ginny said.

Hermione looked down at her cup of tea and tucked her hair behind her ear, shrugging. "We had lunch Gin, that's all."

"No, no, no. You were photographed holding hands, 'Mione. Sharing an intimate moment?" Ginny prodded.

"We were just discussing…things, Gin. My parents, him waking up finally, stuff like that."

Ginny smiled softly at her and set her tea on the coffee table. She reached over and took Hermione's tea from her, setting it on the table as well, then took her hands in her own. "We've been best friends for years Hermione, you're like a sister to me. I know when you aren't telling the truth."

Hermione sighed and decided that Fred probably wouldn't kill her if she told Ginny, of all people, the truth. "He told me that he could hear everything while he was in his coma. I can't imagine how hard that must have been for him. To be aware of everything going on around you and not being able to do anything about it."

"Why did he never tell anyone?!" Ginny wondered aloud.

"He said he wanted me to be the first person he told. I may have confessed something to him when I was saying my goodbye in the Great Hall."

At Ginny's raised eyebrow she continued. "I may have fancied Fred, back at Hogwarts."

Ginny's expression didn't change, in fact she looked like she was waiting for her to say more. Hermione gave her a puzzled look.

"I know you fancied Fred in school." Ginny said.

Hermione furrowed her brows and shook her head. "How did you know?!"

"Like I said, you're my best friend. I saw the way you looked at him, how you went out of your way to scold the twins when they were testing products. I also saw how he looked at you, he loved to ruffle your feathers Hermione, George hated it."

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" Hermione asked.

"I didn't want to get in the way of anything, you're like a sister to me and he's my brother, weird as that sounds. Plus, Ron had feelings for you at the time and I just wanted everyone to be happy. So I stayed out of it, cause no matter what someone would have been hurt if things had been pushed along. It's why I acted surprised that he woke up asking for you, when really I wasn't that surprised at all."

"I suppose you're right. It's just so strange, I mean, why tell me now? And all he wanted to do was fight with me about Draco! Speaking of Draco, is it true that he bought all of your guys' gowns as well?"

Ginny laughed and picked up her tea again. "Yea he did, completely blew me away when we tried to leave and the sales lady gave us the boxes. Probably just trying to piss off the boys."

"That's exactly what I told Fred. He was probably trying to get a rise out of them. I can't imagine how Harry and George reacted."

"George kinda just shrugged and scratched his head, I don't think it was the reaction that Angelina was looking for. Harry, well let's just say he took it better than Ron. It took Mom forever to get Ron to calm down, she's so happy you are coming over for dinner tomorrow by the way. But Harry, well let's just say that I'll have to thank Draco." Ginny laughed.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at her and Ginny flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Harry couldn't let Draco one up him of course, so he got me a beautiful necklace to go with the gown. I can't wait for you to see it."

"They do have impeccable taste don't they?"

"Yes, I can't wait to see you in your gown. Hard to believe that Draco and Theo designed it." Ginny smiled at the blush that spread across Hermione's face.

Crookshanks padded out of Hermione's bedroom and towards the front door, sitting at it and staring up, swishing his tail back and forth.

"Crooks, come here and say hello to Ginny." Hermione called out to him. She frowned when he paid her no mind, even when she offered him a saucer of milk, he wouldn't move.

"Such an odd creature." Ginny mumbled. She turned back towards Hermione and grinned.

"What is that smirk for?" Hermione asked.

"So, we obviously know that Draco is absolutely smitten with you, and now Fred has decided to tell you he still has feelings for you, what ever are you going to do?"

Hermione sighed and ran a hand through her hair, then frowned realizing that it was a very Draco like gesture. "I don't know Gin, I really don't know."

Neither of them paid any attention to Crookshanks pawing at the door, or the sound of footsteps walking down the steps that led back down to the street. When Ginny left not long afterwards, she noticed that there was a bouquet of flowers strewn across the street, just outside the door that led up to Hermione's flat.

* * *

Hermione smiled, as Molly wrapped her up in a big hug when she got to the Burrow the following evening. "I'm sorry I took so long to come by. Everything just went really fast with work."

"Oh it's alright dear. Come in! Come in! Let's get you a cup of tea, dinner will be ready soon, everyone is out back." Molly said.

"Do you need any help in here? I can set the table for you." Hermione offered.

Molly pushed her towards the door that led out to the back of the Burrow. "No, no dear that's quite alright. I already had Ron set the table earlier. Go on, everyone is waiting for you."

As Hermione walked through the door, she felt a little overdressed in her navy blue summer dress. She lifted a hand and waved awkwardly. "Hi guys."

"Hermione! So good to see you!" Arthur came over and gave her a hug.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, the twins, and Angelina were in the air on their brooms in a makeshift game of Quidditch. Katie and Padma were sitting out on lawn chairs, drinking lemonade. Hermione made her way over to them as Arthur went in to help Molly.

"Hey guys." Hermione greeted. She hadn't seen either of them since she returned.

"Hermione!" Padma cried, jumping up from her seats to give her a hug. She sat in one of the extra lawn chairs next to them, and realized that Katie looked uncomfortable while mumbling a quiet hello.

"How are you Katie? I would have thought you'd be up there on a broom with them."

"I'm good, injured my wrist earlier in the week so I'm taking it easy. Welcome home, by the way." Her tone wasn't as friendly as Hermione had once remembered.

Even though Fred had said that he wasn't dating the brunette, Hermione had a feeling that perhaps Katie had a crush on him. That was the only logical reason she could think of why Katie would act cold towards her.

"I hope you know that the Prophet was just spinning stories. There's nothing going on between Fred and I." She whispered.

A look of relief crossed Katie's face and she looked at Hermione apologetically. "Thank you. I know I don't have a right to be upset or anything. I was just hoping he'd come around eventually, I don't really know what I'm doing wrong. He seemed interested in school, but now he's either just really occupied with opening the new shop or there's someone else he's interested in."

"He's probably just stressed with the opening of the new shop. Angelina said that even George hasn't been his usual self lately. If he seemed interested in school I would just be patient. He is taking you to the ball after all." Padma reassured.

Hermione nodded in agreement, feeling horrible knowing that it was the latter choice that had Fred occupied. She smiled as everyone came down from their game, grateful to have a distraction. She stood to hug Ginny and Harry, even Ron came forward and gave her an awkward hug before wrapping an arm around Padma.

"Glad you could come by. Mom was really happy you decided to finally come see her, wouldn't shut up about it for forever." He said.

"Don't be rude about Mom wanting to see Hermione ickle Ronniekins, you're just jealous she was never that happy to see you." Fred joked, coming up to the group.

Hermione blushed when they locked eyes and she subconsciously moved closer to Ginny, putting distance between her and Fred. Ginny smiled at her and looped her arm through hers.

"Come inside with me, I need to get cleaned up for dinner anyways." She said, pulling Hermione with her.

They stopped as Fred reached out abruptly and grabbed Hermione's upper arm and whispered low enough for only her to hear. "I want to talk to you before you leave."

Everyone looked at them oddly, and she felt her cheeks growing warm as she looked at Katie out of the corner of her eye. She had told Ginny last night that she didn't know what she was going to do about Fred and Draco. But she had just told Katie that nothing was going on between her and Fred, and really there _was_ nothing going on between her and Fred.

She shook her head slightly and pulled her arm out of his grasp, giving him an annoyed look through her lashes. If Fred had heard her confession and had felt the same way, he would have gone after her in Australia. He would have sent her an owl the moment he woke up and realized she was gone, he would have fought for her.

It occurred to her in that moment that she had already made up her mind. Hadn't she?

* * *

Draco thumbed through a contract that he was finalizing with a Wizarding hospital in Ireland, when he heard something drop on his desk behind him. He spun his chair around to see Hermione seated across from him, and a large wicker basket sitting on his desk.

"I thought you were having dinner at the Weasley's?" He drawled.

"Draco it's almost eight. I went by your flat but Missy said that you hadn't come home from work yet, so I decided to bring dinner to you. Molly sent it home with me, but there is far too much for me to eat on my own, and Missy said you probably hadn't eaten so I decided to bring this by. I don't think I've seen a house elf so smitten with her master before."

"Employer."

Hermione looked at him puzzled. "What?"

"I'm not her Master, I'm her employer."

She sat back in her chair and gave him a pointed look. "What are you upset about now?"

"Who says I'm upset? You've just interrupted my work and I have lot to finish tonight." He drawled, eyeing the basket.

She smirked and nudged it towards him. "It's all for you. Go ahead and eat something."

"I don't need to eat the cooking of a Weasley, I'd rather die from starvation."

"I could always wait for you, and you could come by the flat before you head home? Crookshanks misses you a lot, he feels like you've been neglecting him." Hermione laughed.

Draco rolled his eyes at her while picking up his papers again. "Tell you that did he?"

"What the bloody hell is your problem?"

He threw the papers back on the desk and got up out of his chair, storming over to a hidden mini bar, pouring himself a glass of fire whiskey. "You know, for someone who claims nothing is going on between you and the twin, you're starting to spend an awful lot of time with them."

Hermione looked at him incredulously. "They are like my family Draco! Of course I'm going to spend time with them! I know green is your color and everything, but jealousy does **not** suit you at all."

He whirled around and scowled at her. "I'm not jealous, and certainly not of a Weasley, I just don't like being lied to."

"I'm not lying to you!"

"I heard you talking with the Weaselette last night! Yea, that's right, I wanted to stop by and check on you after you left in a hurry. Imagine my surprise to hear you two talking about how he confessed he has feelings for you." He had walked closer to her with each word and she stood from her chair to show that he wasn't intimidating her.

"I would think that eavesdropping would be beneath you, Malfoy!"

His eyes darkened. "So it's like that now, Granger?"

She glared up at him, they were close enough that her chest was barely brushing his. "You're the one making it like that. If you have such a problem with me being around Fred, you are going to have to find a way to get over it. Do **not** make me choose between you and my friends."

"Because they'll win every time won't they?" He sneered at her.

"What do you want me to say? What _is_ this? What are we _doing_ , Draco?" She asked, her expression softening.

When he didn't answer her, her shoulders dropped and she looked down at the ground. "You don't own me Draco. I may work for you at the moment, but that doesn't mean you get to dictate my life, and if this is how it's going to be then I think it's best I take the job at the Ministry once the lab is complete."

She turned to walk away but stopped when he reached out and grabbed her wrist. She stayed where she was, facing the door, as he came up behind her. He stood close enough that she could feel his breath on her neck.

"This isn't easy for me, Hermione. I don't know what this is, all I know is you are the most frustrating witch I have ever met. You defy everything that I was taught you are, and old habits don't go away overnight. I know that at times I can be difficult, but I am trying. It may not always show, but it isn't easy, and I am trying."

"You think that this is easy for me? You think that I should just fall at your feet and thank my lucky stars that Draco Malfoy took interest in me all of a sudden? Newsflash, it would be easier for me to be with Fred. It would make my life easier to be with someone whose family I've already been a part of for years. But I don't want easy, I don't like easy, I never did. Back in Hogwarts, the possibility of him and I wasn't easy. Now, you and I aren't easy. But guess what? Easy is boring, and I will continue to defy everything that Pureblood supremacists throw at me. But you, you've changed Draco, and that's ok. Change is good. So don't try and make it easy, if you want it to work, just try and make it work."

She started towards the door again, and he let go of her wrist and watched her leave. Going back to his desk, he let out a deep sigh and fell back into his chair, running a hand through his hair. He looked at the door, half expecting her to walk back in, but after a few minutes he decided that she was gone for the night.

He picked up his papers and turned his chair around to continue his work. But not before peeking in the basket and taking out a mince pie.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Muahaha! It seems our heroine has made up her mind, or has she? (Grins evilly.) Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry I didn't update last week, I'm feeling very uninspired right now.

To the reviewer that said you were going to stop reading because this was not turning out to be a Fremione story, and because I was using Mom instead of Mum, it clearly states in the summary that there is both Dramione and Fremione in this story. Yes, it turns out that there is a lot more Dramione, but I stated in the very first chapter that I wasn't sure how it was going to go. As for me using Mom and not Mum, yes it bothers me too. I caught it late, and by then I didn't want to go back through all the chapters and fix it.

For those of you wondering why I don't write them in robes. Plain and simple, I hate the concept of the robes. Like doesn't anyone die of heatstroke? Although I know it's a given in the Wizarding world, in this particular story I'm not going to write them in robes.

The rest of the story is outlined, I did at least that much last week. As of now it looks like it's going to be about thirteen chapters long, and I've decided the outcome. I spent a lot of time this last week being inspired for two different one shots I wanna do after this. So I spent the week outlining them as well.

 **The song that plays during Draco and Hermione's dance is Unsteady by X Ambassadors (Erich Lee Gravity remix)**

Thank you to Excalibur95, Pounou9, WanderedInWinter, Rose and her Doctor, missakatherine, IJones, toapzrose, ksouza3, Sargesgirl, Makele.880, scarlette11011, Colmillos, Raven that flies at night, persphoneisis, Gryff-Slytherin, Ashlee blades, wintersong1954, luvslinkkpk88, Douseemehere16, and dragonjun for adding the story to your favorites.

Thank you to Excalibur95, qohearts, RainbowKatie, missakatherine, Joneskey, CL4P-TP, leslucids, Newtlce, IJones, Emmalirose, Babygurl09, topazrose, Airyella, Kazavan, angeleyes41811, seetherfan77, , Sargesgirl, Hydriad, thugaboo69, NickyDawn, alice101angel, Venatricis, Kodak panda, AndreaG55, shaymars, Gryff-Slytherin, Beeweezy8, wintersong1954, and luvslinkpk88 for following the story.

Thank you to Cmnewman, all guests, Kazavan, ksouza3, Raven that flies at night, Elainel25, fefetwimom, Staticstrut, jperks, JuliSt, wintersong1954, KaTee19, stephalopolisO9, Kiwiflea, IGOTEAMEDWARD, Gwen, dragonjun, Nelly, Amanda, and Helena W. G. for reviewing.

Last but not least thank you to uhohspaghettiooos and luvslinkpk88 for adding me to you author alerts and favorite authors lists.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

Hermione spun around and checked herself in the mirror once again, the white glittery gown that Draco had bought her fit like a glove. It was backless and had long sleeves, hugging her body until it flared out at the bottom. She had done her hair in a mass of curls in the middle of the back of her head with a few stray curls falling out and around her face. Since it was a dressier occasion than every day, she had applied smoky eye makeup paired with a deep red colored lipstick.

Hearing a knock on the door, she grabbed the earrings off of her dresser and slipped into her shoes, Crookshanks already sitting staring up at it so she knew it was Draco. She opened the door while turning, putting her earrings on and searching for her clutch.

"Sorry I'm almost ready." She said.

When she didn't get an answer she turned to see if it had actually been Draco at the door. It had been, and he was just standing there holding a bouquet of roses, eyes wide and mouth gaping.

Hermione laughed, finding her clutch and moving to take the roses from him. "These are beautiful, Draco. Thank you."

He shook his head and walked inside as she filled a vase with water in the kitchen. "You look…very nice."

Hermione threw an amused smirk over her shoulder at him and gave a short laugh. "You look _very nice_ too."

When she was done arranging the flowers, she walked over to where Draco had bent down to pet Crookshanks, who was weaving himself around Draco's feet and purring. He stood and offered her his arm, which she took with a small smile on her face.

"You look more than very nice. You look beautiful." He said softly, causing her to blush.

"Thank you." She replied.

A small part of her wanted to talk about the night before, about what they had talked about in his office, but she kept quiet. She knew that there would be all sorts of reporters at the ball, including that meddlesome Rita Skeeter. It would be nice to know where they stood with one another, because she knew that they were going to be asked.

But she had decided that she would let him do the talking, and see what he had to say when posed with the question.

* * *

When they arrived, there _were_ reporters lining the entry way into the building. Cameras were flashing and they were being asked questions from all different directions. Draco had an arm around her waist and held her close, as she held her head high and smiled for the cameras, slightly less uncomfortable than she was when she was in the spotlight right after the war.

"Will there be a wedding soon?!"

"Rumor says you're pregnant, is this true Miss Granger?!"

"Are you having an affair with Fred Weasley?!"

"Didn't you hate each other back in Hogwarts?! What changed?!"

Draco leaned in and whispered in her ear. "I hope you know that this is all the Prophet is going to be talking about for weeks."

She leaned her head in closer to his, turning to look at him fully, and smiled. "Harry was right, what wonderful press it will be for the lab."

Once they were inside they spotted Theo with his date, a witch neither of them had met before but English was most definitely not her first language, and made their way over to him. As they got closer they saw Blaise as well, standing next to a less than amused looking Pansy. She turned to look at them as they approached, her smile faltering a little when she spotted Hermione on Draco's arm.

"I knew that dress would look amazing on you. Draco only helped a little with the design." Theo joked, leaning in to kiss Hermione's cheek.

"Thank you, and somehow I don't find that hard to believe." Hermione laughed.

Draco looked at her sharply. "What is that supposed to mean?"

She smiled at him, touching her chin to her shoulder. "It's a compliment."

All the guys chuckled, then Theo furrowed his brows at her. "Hey wait a minute!"

This earned a laugh from everyone as they made their way into the grand ballroom. Pansy sneered over her shoulder at Hermione while rolling her eyes.

"Don't look so surprised at the grandeur Granger, this is nothing compared to most Pureblood parties."

Hermione rolled her eyes, and looked over towards the pug faced girl with a look of annoyance on her face. "Pansy you better get used to me being around, this isn't school, and if Draco and Theo can make peace with me then I'm sure you can manage as well. If you can't, just do us all a favor and keep your mouth shut."

Draco looked at her with a proud look on his face while Theo reached over to clap Pansy on the back. "She got you! Oh she got you good Pans. Oooh look Draco, there are the girls you bought the gowns for, it doesn't look like their partners are as annoyed as we were expecting them to be." Theo said, with a pout.

"You bought a bunch of Gryffindors gowns for tonight? Merlin, what has gotten into you Draco?" Pansy said, distastefully, as she walked away towards Daphne Greengrass and her date Adrian Pucey.

"Always so pleasant isn't she? Sorry about that Granger, it's days like this I'm not sure what I see in that girl." Blaise said, turning and following Pansy across the room.

"The gowns do look lovely. Come on, let's go say hello." Hermione said, pulling on Draco's arm.

"You go ahead I'll be there in a minute." Draco said, not paying attention to her, but instead looking across the room at a group of older gentleman.

"Some of the benefactors for multiple projects of ours are over there. We need to go make an appearance." Theo explained, following Draco's line of sight.

"Tonight is supposed to be fun not business." Theo's date pouted in her thick Russian accent.

"Is there really a difference?" Draco said, walking in the direction of the benefactors, leaving Hermione behind.

She frowned at his retreating back, he had left her without so much as even offering to take her over, while Theo had pulled his date along with him. Shaking her head, she walked in the direction of Katie and Angelina, who were both standing with George. She looked around for Fred, but there was no sign of the tall red head.

"Hi guys." She said. They turned to see who had greeted them and both girls started gushing about her gown.

"Gotta hand it to those Slytherins they sure do know what they're doing." Angelina said.

"Yea would you happen to know why Malfoy thought it was appropriate to buy my girl her gown? You look beautiful by the way." George said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Oh that's just Draco being Draco." Hermione laughed.

"And thank Merlin for that!" A voice came from behind them.

They all turned to see Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Padma coming up to them. Ginny brought her hand up to her neck to touch the large diamond and sapphire encrusted choker that Harry had bought her to go along with her gown, it had been her that had spoken.

"Can't let Malfoy one up me now can I?" Harry laughed.

"I knew I should have asked for the day off to go shopping with you guys." Padma pouted.

"Oh come off it. I bought your gown didn't I?" Ron scowled at her.

She seemed to brighten a little after that and smiled at him. "You did. Thank you."

"Did Fred come in with you guys? He was supposed to meet me here." Katie asked Ginny.

"Yea he got caught up at the front with a reporter answering questions about his _relationship_ with Hermione. We all laughed when the reporter asked if they were seeing each other, like that would ever happen." Ron laughed, putting an arm around Padma.

Hermione blushed and looked at Ginny who gave her a sympathetic look. Harry and George just looked uncomfortable while Katie quietly bristled and looked annoyed.

"Why all the glum faces?" The man in question came up behind everyone. He swung an arm around Katie's shoulders and gave a wink to Hermione.

"Apparently you're marrying Malfoy but your carrying my love child." He said with a laugh.

"Disgusting." Ron, George, and Harry all said in unison.

As if the moment was uncomfortable enough, Narcissa appeared right then. "I hope you are all having a wonderful time."

Everyone mumbled some kind of response except for Harry. "We are having a lovely evening, thank you Mrs. Malfoy."

She nodded at him and reached out for Hermione. "Hermione, darling, why don't you come with me there are some people I'd like to introduce you to."

"Oh? Was Terrence able to make it after all?" Hermione joked, turning to walk with her. Narcissa laughed at the joke while everyone exchanged confused looks.

Ron shook his head while glaring at their retreating forms. "What is she, their pity project or something?"

"Oh come off it, Ron! Why is it so hard for you to accept that Draco and his Mother have very obviously changed? Hermione is a grown woman, she can do what she wants!" Ginny scolded.

"Or who she wants." George piped.

Fred glared at his twin and took his arm off from around Katie's shoulders. Straightening up, he grabbed Angelina's hand and pulled her out onto the dance floor. Angelina just started laughing, shrugging her shoulders at George who stood there with an open mouth.

"Alright, he asked for it. Come on Katie, let's show them who the better dancers are!" George yelled, grabbing Katie.

On the other side of the room Narcissa was introducing Hermione to a group of ladies who were on the committee with her. Most of them had been nice, including Mrs. Higgs, which made Narcissa and Hermione share a knowing smile. However, there had been a few who had pretty much stuck their noses up at her.

"When is young Draco going to settle down with a proper wife, Narcissa?" One of them asked, completely ignoring Hermione.

"Oh yes, what a handsome man he's grown into. You know my daughter Astoria has always been smitten with him. They make a lovely couple don't you agree?" Who Hermione could only assume was Mrs. Greengrass said, nodding out towards the dance floor.

Hermione and Narcissa turned to see that Draco was indeed dancing with Astoria. Hermione felt her blood go cold as she frowned.

Narcissa looked at her with a worried face and gently touched her arm. "Draco actually came with Miss Granger tonight. I'm sure if your daughter is smitten with him, she approached him to dance, something he's never really enjoyed that much."

Hermione smiled at the backhanded dig that Narcissa had given, as Mrs. Greengrass gave a small unladylike snort.

An older lady who had walked up during Narcissa's comment laughed and nodded her head. "Oh yes she approached him alright, went and dragged him away from my husband, who is as you know one of the benefactors of the new lab Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Nott are building. He doesn't like being interrupted either."

Mrs. Greengrass stuck her nose in the air and waved at someone across the room, excusing herself, a few of the ladies following her.

The lady stuck her hand out to shake Hermione's. "Pleasure to meet you Miss Granger, Victoria Weatherbee. Narcissa, this place looks lovely, walk with me dear."

Narcissa nodded, letting the elderly lady take her arm and lead her away. Hermione just smiled and looked around to see if she could spot Ginny. When she saw her talking with her parents, she smiled and moved to go say hello. Half way there she was stopped by a hand on her arm. She turned, startled, to see that it was Blaise who had grabbed her.

"Sorry I didn't mean to startle you." He said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Hermione shook her head and smiled warmly at him. "No, it's ok. What happened to Pansy?"

Blaise laughed and nodded off towards a corner of the room where Pansy had been cornered by Cormac McLaggen.

Hermione laughed as well. "Can't say I feel sorry for her. Really, Blaise, what _do_ you see in her?"

"She has her moments. She has a good heart deep down, deep deep down in there."

"Well you are a saint for putting up with her."

"Would you…care to dance?" He asked, hands in his pockets, as he nodded towards the dance floor.

Hermione nodded and took the arm he offered her, allowing him to lead her to the large space in the middle of the room.

They were silent for the first few moments before Blaise murmured softly in her ear. "He's completely smitten with you, you know. I think even Narcissa is smitten with you."

Hermione laughed softly. "What makes you say that?"

"The way he looks at you. I don't think I've ever seen him look at anyone or anything the way he looks at you. Well, except maybe his broom." Blaise laughed.

"He sure has a funny way of showing it."

Blaise shook his head and peered over her head at Draco, who was across the room speaking with Daphne and her Father. "I'm not entirely sure he knows. Oh but Narcissa does, and Theo, everyone but Draco."

The song came to an end and before Hermione could even say anything Blaise gave a short bow and disappeared into the crowd. She stood there for a few moments, contemplating what he had said, before she moved off of the dance floor in search of Ginny again. Draco's eyes hadn't left her the entire time.

 **One hour later**

Hermione laughed as Harry retold a story from their third year. She was seated at a table with him and Ginny, Ron and Padma, Dean and Seamus with their dates. Draco had been talking with numerous benefactors all night, and had been dragged to the dance floor a few more times by Astoria, annoying Hermione greatly. But she had started the night by allowing him to set the tone of their relationship, and if this was how he was going to act then she surmised Draco cared more about business. Despite what Blaise had said.

She had danced with both Ron and Harry, even Theo, much to his dates annoyance. Seamus had asked her earlier in the evening but Lavender, who he had brought as his date, hadn't liked that one bit. So to avoid a scene Hermione politely declined, saying she wanted to give her feet a rest.

Across the room Theo was standing at the drink table, grabbing a few glasses of champagne. He raised a glass to her and motioned for her to join, so she excused herself and made her way over to him.

"Enjoying yourself? I must say, you are the prettiest witch at the ball."

"Don't let your date hear you say that. You're sweet for saying so, but you aren't a very good liar, Theo." Hermione laughed, taking a sip of her champagne.

"Who says I'm lying?" Theo said, in mock defense.

"What _don't_ you lie about, Nott?" A voice came up from behind them. They both turned to see Adrian Pucey standing there, gathering new glasses of champagne.

"Shove it, Pucey."

"You clean up nice, Granger, almost didn't recognize you. Astoria was all sorts of upset when you walked in with Malfoy, but it looks like your date is just using you to further his business ventures so I guess she still has a chance." Adrian droned lazily.

Hermione stiffened and took another sip of her champagne, while Theo glared at Adrian and stepped in between them. "Watch your mouth, Pucey. You have no idea what you're on about."

"Yes, Adrian. You really do have no idea what you're talking about." Draco said, coming up behind him.

Adrian turned his head as Draco walked over to Hermione and placed a hand on the small of her back. He watched them for a few moments before laughing and raising a glass to them. "Watch yourself, Granger. Hard to believe Draco has changed _that_ much in such a short amount of time."

Draco opened his mouth to retort when he was interrupted by Fred walking up them.

"Sorry to disrupt your little Slytherin rumble boys, I'm here to rescue the fair lioness who looks quite uncomfortable amongst all you slimy snakes." Fred said, holding his hand out to Hermione.

She smiled at him, relieved to be saved from what was sure to escalate to quite a scene. She handed her glass to Draco and took Fred's hand, following him out onto the dance floor. Draco just watched them go with an incredulous look on his face, Theo looked like he would rather be anywhere than where he was, while Adrian just laughed and turned to walk away from them. But not before getting in one last dig on Draco.

"Always been smart that one, still feels more safe with a Weasley than you, Malfoy. Maybe there was something to the Prophets article after all."

Draco was visibly shaking in anger. Theo reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, but he just shrugged it off. "How could she just go off with him like that?"

"Draco, mate, I'm going to be real honest with you. You left her by herself the moment we got here. You've spent the night speaking with old men and dancing with Astoria, albeit begrudgingly, you haven't even asked Hermione to dance. To anyone that didn't you know you two came together, it would look like you came with Astoria. If I were Hermione, I'd be running back to the Weasley's too."

Draco looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Theo's expression turned into that of shock and disgust as he shuddered. "I can't believe I just said that."

"I can't believe I just had to hear that." Draco said. He looked back to where Fred was leading Hermione around the dance floor and frowned.

 **Fred and Hermione**

"Thank you for that." Hermione said softly, as Fred turned her around the large dance floor.

"No problem, you looked like you needed to be saved. Besides, you haven't danced with me yet tonight." Fred grinned down at her. "You look breathtaking by the way. In case no one has told you."

Hermione blushed and turned her gaze downward, focusing on one of the buttons of his dragon hide jacket. "Katie looks lovely tonight as well, don't you think?"

Fred rolled his eyes at her. "Not you too, Granger. Yes, Katie does look lovely tonight as well. But there isn't a woman in here who could hold a candle to you."

Hermione didn't think it was possible to blush even deeper than she already was, but his words turned her cheeks an even darker pink.

"So what's going on with you two?" Fred asked softly.

Hermione looked up at him through her thick lashes and shrugged her shoulders. "I work for him at the moment, I haven't decided whether or not I will continue once the lab is complete. We fight, a lot. We…" She trailed off.

"Snog?" Fred offered.

She laughed and looked back to the button she had been focusing on before. She had forgotten how easy it was to talk to Fred. Back in Hogwarts during her fifth year, when she would stay up late in the common room doing homework, there had been many conversations between the two of them on nights where he would sneak off to the kitchens. Conversations that had led to her having feelings for him, conversations that she hadn't told anyone about. They used to talk about their dreams and their goals, about how much they hated Professor Umbridge. Looking back now, she guessed that the reason he had stayed up with her so many nights was because he fancied her. Something her fifth year self would never have come to realize.

"Yes, I'll admit there's been some of that too."

Fred nodded his head and reached a hand up to lift her chin so that she was looking at him. "I want to make something very clear Hermione, I want you to be happy. Whether that's with me, him, or someone else. Hell, even if it's by your brilliant self with that mangy old cat of yours. Whatever form it comes in, I just want you to be happy."

Hermione became aware that the song was ending and they were barely moving in the middle of the dance floor, people staring and whispering. There were only a few other couples still dancing around them.

Fred grinned and waggled his eyebrows at her. "What do you say we go out with a bang Granger?"

Before she could reply, he had gathered her in his arms and dipped her low, pausing with their noses almost touching. She could see the flashes from the cameras in the reflection of his eyes. He pulled her back up as the song ended and the people who had been watching from the side clapped. She hid her face in the crook of his shoulder and he laughed.

"Can I have the honor of the next dance?" She heard behind her. She turned in Fred's arms to see Draco standing there, an unreadable look on his face.

She turned back to Fred, who bowed to her before lifting her hand to kiss the back of it, then leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Remember what I said Hermione. Although I would be lying if I said I wasn't hopeful that I was the obvious choice."

She watched him walk away as a new song begun and Draco cleared his throat behind her. She slowly turned, Draco taking her around the waist, as they began to dance.

"What was that about?" Draco spoke softly into her ear.

"Jealous?" She asked, surprising them both.

"I'm sorry I left you alright? I couldn't just not speak to the benefactors, they control much more than you realize."

"And Astoria?"

"I wasn't going to be rude to her in front of her Father and his friends, it's no secret that her and I were supposed to be engaged, but my Mother refused to force me into an arranged marriage."

"Do you fancy her?"

"Are you serious? Do you honestly think that if I fancied her I would have brought you tonight, let alone snog you on occasion?"

Hermione frowned at his tone and set her chin on his shoulder. "Do you want me to be honest?"

Draco frowned as well, but nodded. She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked him straight in the eye. "I did fancy Fred back when we were at Hogwarts, it was in fifth year, and I never knew he felt the same until now. But somehow, even though he says there are still feelings there, I don't know how to feel because I don't know what is going on here. With us."

Draco stiffened at her confession, without missing a step in their dance. "I told you how I felt last night."

She blinked at him, not expecting that response. "And I told you either to make it work or don't. So what are you choosing Draco?"

"I'm choosing to end this discussion, because you look far too upset for as beautiful as you look." He responded, then spun her away from him before pulling her back.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she came back into his arms. "So much smoother than in Sydney."

"Not quite." He said, before crashing his lips down to hers.

Hermione was shocked but responded after a few seconds, tangling her hands in his hair. Both unaware that they had caught the attention of almost every witch and wizard in the room. Cameras were flashing like crazy, and all the other couples had moved off of the dance floor. When they finally pulled away from each other, he spun her around once more, causing her to laugh.

There were a lot of whispers that followed them as they left the dance floor, but nothing could ruin the mood that she was in. Her smile only faltered a little when she caught Fred's eye from across the room. He gave her a slight nod wearing a frown on his face, and threw his arm back around Katie, turning to follow George and Angelina out of the ballroom.

* * *

Hermione entered the large bathroom, quickly making her way into one of the stalls to sit down and take her shoes off. She wasn't used to spending so much time in heels, let alone dancing so much in them, and her feet were killing her. She heard the door open again and the clacking of heels went into the stall beside hers. She laughed when she saw the persons shoes come off as well, recognizing them as Ginny's.

"Couldn't wear yours anymore either?" She asked.

Ginny's laughter echoed throughout the large room. "I'm so ready to go home. Harry's boss is here though and he won't let Harry and Ron out of his sight."

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but shut it as the door opened once more and numerous voices could be heard at once.

"I don't care that the war is over, it's preposterous! He's making an absolute fool of himself! Prancing around with that filth!"

"He should be engaged to my Astoria right now! I don't know what Narcissa was thinking. With Lucius gone, Draco is going to have to rely on my husband as well as all of yours to keep his business going! We've already spoken about pulling our support."

"As have we, small talk was all it was until he sealed the deal by that disgusting display on the dance floor. Should he move forward with that girl, we will be pulling our funding as well."

Hermione was shocked by the things being said, and she saw Ginny's small hand reach for her under the stall. She reached down and grabbed it, receiving a squeeze of support, as tears stung her eyes.

"I think she's a lovely girl. We have her to thank for the war being over if none of you remember correctly. She helped Harry Potter defeat the dark lord, and if he hadn't then none of you would even have any of your money left. Terrence has never had anything but nice things to say about her."

"You're as daft as Narcissa then."

Ginny pulled her hand out of Hermione's and slipped her shoes back on. Hermione heard her unlock the door to her stall and stood, wondering if she should make her presence known as well. All the voices went quiet as Ginny walked out of her stall and made her way to the sinks.

"Miss Weasley, how are you enjoying the evening dear?" Hermione recognized the voice as Mrs. Higgs.

"I was enjoying it perfectly well until just now. It's a shame that even after the war you people still have such prejudice. That's one of my best friends that you happen to be talking about, and she and Draco are happy together. Why do you feel the need to ruin that? What Draco and Theo are doing is for the benefit of the entire Wizarding world, do you really think pulling your funding will make a difference? I'm sure he has more than enough to make up what you take away, and I happen to know that Harry would be more than willing to replace all of you as a benefactor if need be." Ginny quipped.

"It would please me to tell you that young Mr. Malfoy doesn't have access to all of the family fortune, and as long as Lucius sits in Azkaban, Narcissa doesn't have control over it either. If Mr. Potter wants to make up what we take away, he can try. But he will find himself broke soon enough. All Draco has to do is stop playing pretend with that _mudblood_ and all will be well."

Hermione heard Ginny step forward, and she put her hand on the handle to the stall door to stop whatever the redhead was about to do or say. But just as she went to open it she heard the main door open again.

"Mother, what is going on in here? Father is looking for you. Ginny, is everything alright?" Daphne's voice echoed in the large room.

Hermione had always liked Daphne, she wasn't like a lot of the other Slytherin girls. She was smart, and had always been pleasant towards her in school. She heard the clicking of heels as who she assumed were all the older women left. She could still see Ginny and Daphne's shoes from under the stall. She could only assume that Ginny had motioned that she was still in there because Daphne's voice was directed towards her next.

"Granger…Hermione, don't listen to my Mother. She's an old bitter woman who doesn't adapt to change very well."

Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes and opened the door to the stall. "Would your parents really pull funding from Draco and Theo?"

Ginny stepped forward and laid a hand on her arm. Hermione smiled at her gratefully before looking back to Daphne who looked uncertain how she should answer the question.

"Lucius and my Father had a contract in place for Draco and Astoria to marry, but Narcissa came in at the last minute to make sure that didn't happen. She wanted Draco to marry someone that he chose, someone that he loved. I only wish that Adrian's Mother had done the same. But they are old and set in their ways, my parents never forgave them for it, but they think that with the right amount of pushing that Draco will see reason and marry Astoria anyways. Little do they know how much he despises her."

Daphne looked sad, and it made Hermione feel sorry for her. To still be forced into an arranged marriage, and to be paired with someone that you obviously don't like, it would be awful. She briefly wondered if that's why so many of the Slytherins had always hated everyone outside of their own house, because everyone else had the freedom that they so obviously craved.

"I'm sorry about Adrian." She offered.

Daphne shrugged and smiled. "It could be worse, he really isn't so bad when it's just him and me. As for you and Draco, I can't say that I'm not completely blown away by the fact that you two of all people decided to hook up, but if you are serious about each other then don't let people like my parents dictate that. Money can be found anywhere, and eventually Draco will have full control over his entire estate, it will be endless then."

She turned and moved to walk out of the room, turning to say one last thing, with a very Slytherin smirk before she went. "He may not have been by your side all night Granger, but he never took his eyes off of you."

Ginny giggled beside her as the door swung shut, leaving the two girls alone again. "She's right you know. It's all Fred could talk about tonight."

Hermione shook her head. "I can't Gin, how could I possibly? If that many people are going to pull their funding just because he and I are together, I couldn't do that to him. It all makes sense now."

"What do you mean it all makes sense?" Ginny asked, with a confused look on her face.

"He's been fighting whatever it is going on between us for weeks. Of course it wasn't going to be natural at first given who we are, but once I came back and we spent more time together, it began to feel natural. Even speaking around his Mother felt natural, but he's still been…unable…to just give in to it. But now I know why, he's known all along that they wouldn't take the news of us together very well. He's known what they can do, and who knows how long it will be before he has full control over his fortune. He needs the benefactors right now Gin, he can't afford to upset them." Hermione explained, slowly walking towards the door.

Ginny looked at her with a helpless look and worry in her eyes. "So what are you going to do?"

Hermione paused with her hand on the door. "I don't know."

* * *

It took a few minutes for her to find Draco in the large crowd of people. He was standing with Theo and Blaise, and a few other older gentleman that she didn't know. He smiled when he saw her and reached a hand out, motioning for her to come over to them. She walked slowly towards them, and stopped to stand between Blaise and Theo, which earned her a confused look from Draco.

"Gentleman may I have the pleasure of introducing Miss Hermione Granger, the brains behind the new lab." Draco said.

Most of the men nodded towards her, stiff nods, not exactly polite. None of them made a move to speak to her. Hermione flushed, embarrassed, and realized that most of these men must have been the husbands of the ladies in the bathroom.

Draco made a move to stand next to her and put his arm around her, but she flinched away from him and he gave her another confused look as they both stood there awkwardly. Theo stepped closer to her so that his arm was brushing hers and she relaxed a little bit.

"So will you be continuing to work with the boys once the construction of the lab is complete? Or will Narcissa be giving you lessons on how to act like a lady of a manor as great at the Malfoy's?" A man with greying hair and a deep voice asked her. Hermione knew this had to be Daphne and Astoria's Father, Astoria looked just like him.

Draco flushed red in anger, as Theo and Blaise both gave the man disapproving looks. Draco looked like he was about to say something when Hermione interrupted him. "Actually, Mr. Greengrass, I haven't decided whether or not I'll be working with them after the project is done. As of right now I'm leaning towards a job at the Ministry, and I can assure you that being a lady of a manor as great as the Malfoy's is not something that's in my foreseeable future."

Draco just stared at her, mouth open. Theo shut his eyes and took a deep breath and Blaise just looked plain angry. Mr. Greengrass cocked an eyebrow and turned his body fully towards her, appraising her like he was seeing her for the first time.

"So you have no intention of marrying young Draco here?" He asked her.

Draco shook his head and furrowed his brow. "Now just a minute-"

"No, I do not." Hermione cut him off, not taking her eyes off of Daphne's Father.

Draco felt like he had been stabbed in the chest with a knife. Not that marriage was anywhere near discussion, he had just given in to how he felt about her, but to hear her say it hurt. Now she was standing here, denying a future with him, after she had just told him to make a choice. He had made a choice dammit! He had chosen her and this is what he got in return? Had she been playing some sort of sick joke on him this whole time?

His eyes widened in realization, as Mr. Greengrass smiled and nodded fully to her, thanking her for her help with the lab and wishing her a fruitful future in a very forced tone. The men all turned to walk away, but Draco couldn't take his eyes off of her. He felt frozen, and there was a lump in his throat that he couldn't seem to swallow. Blaise and Theo excused themselves, Theo giving Hermione a pity filled look as he walked away.

She raised her eyes to meet Draco's and took a deep breath. "Listen, Draco, I can explain everything."

"Don't bother, Granger. I get it." His cold tone cut her off.

She frowned at him and took a step towards him. "No you don't get it at all, Draco."

"Oh but I do. You want to be with Weasley. Fine, Granger, go be with him. You know, I pitied you when I found you in Australia. Then when you got drunk and threw yourself at me, I figured why not? Why shouldn't I shag the Gryffindor Princess? Imagine how disturbing it was for me to find that I enjoyed it. But after a while, I thought you were different, changed somehow. Or maybe I just finally realized that I had changed, and I fought against it, I fought so damn hard. Merlin, who would have thought that someone would ever choose a Weasley over a Malfoy? I was very wrong, very very wrong about you." His voice was cold, harsh, and made her freeze where she stood. The tone was reminiscent of when he used to leer at her and her friends in school.

She shook her head at him and softened her gaze. Of course, she had just admitted everything about Fred earlier that night, of course he would think that's why she had acted the way she had.

But the fact that he wouldn't even listen to her, that he was so willing to shut her out and put his wall back up, made her second guess everything. It was like the excuse he had been looking for all along, an excuse to not give in to whatever had been happening between them. Right when he was ready to try, it was like a sign to him that it wasn't meant to be.

Hermione wanted to tell him everything she had overheard, tell him that she didn't want to be the reason his funds for his business were taken away. But he was looking at her with such disdain that she found she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

She felt tears sting her eyes for the second time that night, and soon after felt an arm wrap around her shoulder. She turned into it, letting her tears fall freely, not even knowing who it was. But as soon as the person spoke she felt an extreme rush of gratitude.

"I think it's time to call it a night yea? You two are drawing quite a bit of attention to yourselves." Harry's voice sounded from above her head.

She turned her head against Harry's chest to look at Draco. She could see out of the corner of her eyes that they had indeed grabbed the attention of the large crowd. "Draco-"

"We're done, Granger." His tone was ice cold and final.

She watched him walk away with a fresh batch of tears streaming down her face. How could they be done when they hadn't even really begun?

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Weeeellllll let's just say this chapter went much differently than planned. It wasn't how I envisioned it in my head, but I like how it turned out. I hope you guys did too. If you didn't listen to the song listed in the beginning authors note for Hermione and Draco's dance please listen to it while reading that part! It doesn't have the same effect if you don't! Oh and please review! :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Special note in the bottom Author's Note!**

Thank you to Cielheart le'chan, sashimiyum, Electrocorrosive, abbyb11507, Phetalla, AngelRoze, woezz, drkaitiewhoo, awesomegeek0404, cupcakelover0822, Lady of the King, jamjess1, Speedbird2779, bigred20, suzy96, sandragalusic, Sassystarbuck09, cheakymaid, and akbdivergent for following the story.

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 **Disclaimer** : I own nothing

* * *

"Everything is almost complete. The colony is going to start moving further into the forest, towards the new expanded territory, soon. Do you think you will stay and continue working to oversee the lab?" Firenze asked Hermione, as they stood at the edge of the clearing, watching as the workers put the finishing touches on the building.

Hermione shook her head slowly, staring past the building, unfocused. "I don't think so, Firenze. By the way, thank you, for making sure that no reporters could get in here."

Firenze watched her out of the corner of his eye as he nodded. "Of course, I can only imagine what you had to go through that night. I took special precautions to make sure Rita Skeeter couldn't get in, in any of her forms."

That earned a smile from her and she quietly laughed. Firenze started walking towards the lab, before turning to look at her, putting his hands behind his back. "If I may speak freely, Miss Granger?"

"Please, call me Hermione, and of course you can speak freely."

"Very well, Hermione, I know that your time at school with Mr. Malfoy was difficult. But to hear that you were working so closely with him, I knew that he must have proved himself worthy of your time. Spending the brief amount of time that I did with the two of you, I could see that he's changed a great deal. But the upbringing he had, it can't be changed overnight, though it did seem like he was trying. Just something to think about."

Hermione nodded as he turned and walked away, his words reminding her of Draco's that night in his office. She let out a sigh and turned to leave the construction site, deciding to head home after a long day. There was only a little less than a week before everything would be complete, and it had been a week since the ball.

She smiled tiredly as she stepped into The Three Broomsticks, Madame Rosmerta lifted a glass and pointed at it, silently asking if she wanted a drink. She shook her head in a "I think I'll just head on home tonight" manner.

The owners of Flourish and Blotts had been kind enough to grant her permission to use their floo as well, so she had been able to use the floo direct from their shop to the pub, and not have to deal with the press. She was so thankful that so many people were understanding about her wanting to keep out of the public eye.

The Daily Prophet had ran story after story on Fred, Draco and her. The fact that neither her nor Fred had been seen out much since the ball only fueled the fire, she hadn't spoken to him and it seemed like he didn't have anything to say about the matter either. Draco however, he had been out and about with Theo and Blaise all week long. Sometimes Pansy accompanied them, and sometimes it was just him and Narcissa, but the articles that were being written didn't seem to bother him at all. She hadn't seen him since Harry had ushered her out of the ballroom that night. Theo had sent her a few concerned owls, but she hadn't responded to any of them.

She opened the door to her flat, and paused, sensing that something wasn't quite right. She listened for a moment and could hear the low growl of Crookshanks coming from the library. Curious, she opened the door to the library and called out to him, sighing in annoyance when she saw that he had been backed into a corner by Theo's owl. The owl's feathers were ruffled and it was making low hooting noises towards him.

She shook her head, walking over to pick him up and shoo him out of the library, before looking apologetically at the owl who had smoothed its feathers back down and held its leg out to her with a letter attached. She took it and gave it a treat from the jar that she had put in the library, since that was normally where she was when an owl came for her. She opened the letter and frowned, it was from Theo again.

 **Hermione-**

 **You can't hide forever. I made reservations for us to have lunch tomorrow at 11:30 at the tea shop. If you don't show, I will come and drag you out of your flat and force you. Just you and me, I promise.**

 **Theo**

 **P.S. Tell Crookshanks to stop pestering Sybil, she keeps losing feathers every time I send her to you.**

Hermione sighed and set the letter down, leaving the library and going to her room. Harry and Ginny had come by on a few occasions to try and cheer her up, Ron and even Padma had stopped by with them once. But besides going to work, she hadn't left her flat for anything else.

Theo was right, she couldn't hide forever.

* * *

She made her way through the crowded tea shop towards Theo, who was seated in a booth against the main window. She had been thankful that there had been no reporters outside of her flat, but as she made the short walk to the tea shop she had caught the attention of many people passing by. As she sat down across from Theo she could see that there were at least five reporters with cameras trying to get a good shot of her through the window.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Theo greeted.

She rolled her eyes at him and gave a short laugh. "Thanks for the discreet seating arrangement. I've been working Theo, just because I haven't been out and about in Diagon Alley doesn't mean I haven't left my flat."

"But you haven't, have you?" He asked her with an amused look on his face.

She frowned at him as she smoothed out her white blouse that was tucked into a black pencil skirt, and tucked her hair behind her ears, ignoring that it fell back around her face on one side. Taking a sip of her tea, she leaned back and asked Theo the question that had been on her mind all week. "How is he?"

Theo shifted uncomfortably and shrugged his shoulders. "He's ok I suppose. Drowning himself in work and…"

"And?" Hermione prodded.

When Theo didn't answer her, she looked up at him, only to find that he was staring heatedly towards the entrance. She looked at him with a confused look on her face and turned around to see what he was looking at. As soon as she had though, she wish she hadn't.

Draco had just walked in, and on his arm was Astoria. Hermione spun back around in her seat and glared at Theo.

He put his hands up in defense and shook his head. "I swear I didn't know, I wouldn't have asked you to come here if I had."

She started rubbing her temples, trying to figure out a way to leave the restaurant without them seeing her. But hearing Theo utter a quiet curse word under his breath had her believing that they had already been spotted. She looked up through her hands at Theo who was shaking his head towards who she assumed was Draco. She froze when she heard his voice behind her.

"Well look who we have here, finally decided to come out of your flat? Would be nice to get an update on how the lab is coming along, since you've decided to not check in at work."

His words made her angry and she felt her cheeks growing hot. She looked up at him, fiery amber meeting icy grey, and frowned. "I've been at the lab every single day and it's coming along just fine. It will be done within the week."

"I better not find out that Weasley has been anywhere near it. I'm not paying you to play house with him in Hogsmeade while he opens his new shop." Draco spat back at her.

Hermione threw her napkin on the table and stood. "I'm sorry about lunch Theo, it seems I've lost my appetite."

She moved to leave, annoyed when Draco wouldn't get out of her way. She glared at him, and then glared past his shoulder at Astoria who was watching the whole thing from her seat looking mildly amused. "Excuse me, _Mr. Malfoy,_ but I have work to attend to now. So if you could kindly get out of my way."

Draco held her gaze for a few moments before slowly stepping to the side. She brushed past him and took a few steps before turning back around. "When the lab is complete, Theo, I will be by the office to hand off everything and make sure all of the papers are taken care of. Consider this my resignation, I don't wish to further my employment with your company."

She had addressed Theo but was looking straight at Draco. Once she was gone, he rolled his eyes as Astoria began waving at him to come back to their table.

"Why are you even here?" Theo said.

Draco looked at him and narrowed his eyes. "Because you _conveniently_ left your schedule open on your desk this morning."

Theo glared back at him. "You are an idiot, that was not an invitation to come argue."

Draco looked out the window to where Hermione was trying to battle her way past the reporters, and his eyes softened a little. As he watched her go, he couldn't help but feel like she was taking a piece of him with her.

* * *

Hermione stormed around the bottom floor of the giant lab, mumbling obscenities that regarded a certain blonde ferret. It had been a few hours since her horrible run in with him at the tea shop and she was taking out her frustration out on the lab. She was unpacking things, stocking shelves and taking inventory, when she heard an unexpected knock at the door. She looked up questioningly and frowned a little when she saw that Narcissa was standing there.

"Mrs. Malfoy to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Narcissa stood there, looking at her like she was trying to read her thoughts, finally stepping into the large room. "Draco has told me that you won't be working with him once this is complete."

Hermione went back to unpacking vials into the large cabinet in front of her. "Good news travels fast."

"Look, Miss Granger I'm not sure what happened between you and my Son at the ball, but surely there must be some kind of misunderstanding."

Hermione glared at her over her shoulder, while marking another tally on her sheet of paper. "What does it matter? Draco took the first out he saw and is now parading Astoria all over town. He's where he wants to be, Mrs. Malfoy."

Narcissa frowned and walked all the way over to her. "I didn't take you as a woman who gave up that easily, Miss Granger."

"Why do you care? Surely you must be ecstatic that he's not hanging around with a lowly mudblood such as myself?" Hermione laughed sarcastically.

Narcissa looked taken aback for a moment before her expression turned to one of anger and she slammed her hand down on the table directly behind Hermione, making the younger witch jump. "Now listen here just a minute young lady! Draco has feelings for you, and for whatever reason won't tell me what happened the night of the ball, but whatever it was hasn't changed those feelings. I know that my Husband has done some horrible things towards you and your friends but I assure you, I do not follow the same beliefs, at least not as strictly. I want my Son to be happy whether that's with a pureblood, half blood, or a _muggle born_ such as yourself. You are a very bright and very talented witch, and if you and my Son decide to quit being so stubborn and figure this all out, I would be honored to have you be part of our family one day. For the record, I cannot stand Astoria and will NOT welcome her into my home. Draco hates her, and him parading her around town is only to hurt and upset you just as he is hurt and upset."

Hermione just stared at her silently, not daring to move until she knew Narcissa had finished speaking, the woman could be extremely menacing when she wanted to be. When Narcissa's body relaxed and she regained her posture, smoothing down her hair she nodded with raised eyebrows waiting for Hermione to speak.

"I handled him with as much grace as I knew how, giving him space to cope with whatever it was he was feeling for me. But at the first sign of hardship, he drew up a wall and hid behind it, not giving me a chance or the benefit of the doubt. I know growing up wasn't easy for him, I know because he made my life a living hell every chance he got. But I looked past it all and accepted him and the changed man that he's become. But I can only do so much, and if he's going to act like a stubborn little prat whose blowing everything out of proportion then that is on him, not me." Hermione said.

"My, you two would make quite the pair. Stubborn as mules, both of you. He's a man and he got embarrassed, in front of a lot of people might I add, so of course he's going to blow it out of proportion and stomp around like a child. Just try and speak to him, don't give up on him so easily." Narcissa said, softly.

Hermione frowned and shook her head. "What, I'm supposed to just let him treat me the way he did? You don't think he hurt and embarrassed me?"

"Hermione, do you love my Son?"

Hermione looked completely taken back and stared at her like she was crazy. "Do I what?!"

"It's a simple question, do you love my Son? Because I know he loves you, even though he may not have admitted it to himself yet. I've never seen him look at anything the way he looks at you."

Hermione frowned, as the familiar words that Blaise had said that night at the ball came back to her. About how he had never seen Draco look at anything the way he looked at her. Did Draco love her? Did she love him?

"I think you know your answer." Narcissa said, after a few moments had passed and Hermione hadn't answered her, but instead looked like she was having an internal battle with herself.

She looked up at Narcissa, frowning and shrugging her shoulders. "So you're telling me that I should be the one to suck it up and be the bigger person?"

Narcissa smiled. "I happen to know that he's at home at this very moment."

* * *

Hermione shook her head, as she talked to herself while walking up to Draco's flat. Of course she didn't love Draco, they hadn't even been civil to each other long enough for her to fall in love with him.

 _But it only took two barely civil days to jump into bed with him?_

She frowned as her inner voice chided her. She had been drunk, it didn't count in this matter.

 _You could love him. You may not quite be there now, but you could be. There is no way he's fallen in love with you this fast, it's all obviously on account of sexual tension._

Why sexual tension? Was it because they were like some sort of forbidden fruit to each other? She had nothing on Astoria, she couldn't compete on looks alone.

 _But Draco loves how smart you are, and how you challenge him. Sure you may not be the prettiest thing on the block but you sure the hell are the smartest, and that makes you all the more attractive._

Hermione stopped in front of the door and frowned. If she could look at her inner voice, the look she would give it would kill. She was hardly horrid looking, after she had learned how to dress herself up properly. Not that there was anything wrong with the way she was before.

 _Either way, maybe you should just tell him the truth. What could it hurt? If he really does care then you can figure it out, together._

Hermione brought her hand up to knock on the door and braced herself.

 **5 minutes earlier inside Draco's flat**

Draco rolled his eyes as Pansy continued to pace back and forth in front of him, complaining about Blaise.

"If he isn't going to propose then I might as well just move on! I'm not getting any younger, we should be married by now, I should be pregnant right now! Carrying around the Zabini heir!"

"Pans, you're nineteen, I hardly think that counts as old age. You have plenty of time, Blaise wants to focus on his career right now, why is that so hard to understand? It wouldn't kill you to find a career, or pick up a hobby, find something to do with yourself. Why don't you go with Mother on holiday?" He drawled, rubbing his eyes.

Pansy stopped her pacing and looked at him sideways. "Draco, darling what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, I just have a lot of work to do. The new lab for St. Mungos is going to be ready soon. There's a lot to be done before we're ready to open, but instead I find myself sitting here listening to you drone on about Blaise."

Pansy sat down on the couch next to him and tucked her knees up and under herself. "Aren't you glad you will finally be rid of Granger?"

He glared at her. "Yes, and things can go back to the way they were before all this bloody Centaur nonsense."

Deep down he was saying no, he wasn't glad to be rid of Hermione. He was still upset over what had happened at the ball, and had admitted to himself that he had been quite harsh on her. He hated the way they had left things in the tea shop. He'd promptly left after that, leaving Theo to deal with Astoria. Theo was none too pleased with him right now. Speaking of not being pleased, where was Blaise? He needed to come get Pansy out of his hair.

He looked up for a moment thinking he heard a knock at the door. He didn't realize that Pansy was giving him a sultry look, moving closer to him, slowly. "Sometimes I wish that things went back to the way they were before the war, back when we used to have fun in Hogwarts."

He hadn't heard a word she said but when it doubt, just agree with a woman. "Yea, sure Pans."

She smiled widely and reached over to brush his knee with her hand. He looked away from the entrance into the living room, where he was seated with Pansy, and looked down at his knee before moving his eyes up towards her with a frown on his face.

"Do you really want me to go with Narcissa on holiday?" She purred at him.

He was distracted by what he thought were voices coming from the front hall but continued to frown at her, pushing her hand away from his knee. "Pansy, knock it off. There isn't anything between us anymore, you know that."

"But think of how good we could be together, Draco. I'm sure I could make you happier than Astoria ever could."

He was about to respond when she grabbed his face and kissed him. For being a girl, she was a hell of a lot stronger than she looked. He grabbed her upper arms to push her away but she only took it as encouragement and tried to deepen the kiss. She loosened her hold on him after a few moments and he pushed her away, jumping up from his place on the couch.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?! You've been with Blaise for over a year, before the war even got serious again, he's one of my best mates I would never betray him like that! You're damn lucky you're a good friend too, I have half a mind to tell Blaise what you've just done!"

"You were practically begging me to!" Pansy shouted back at him.

He shook his head at her and squinted his eyes. "Are you delusional, Pansy? Get out! Go home to Blaise and figure your shit out. I'm going to pretend like this never happened."

He watched as tears welled up in her eyes and she flushed red in embarrassment. She turned towards his floo and in a flash of green she was gone. He shook his head and wiped his mouth on his sleeve, turning and calling Missy into the room. When the small house elf appeared, she looked upset.

"Was that someone at the door I heard, Missy?" He asked her.

She looked down and wrung her hands in front of her small body. Draco raised an eyebrow and motioned for her to answer.

"Yes Sir, it was...well…oh Missy should have never let Misses in. I'm so sorry, Sir." She cried.

He looked around, confused. "Let who in? Is there someone here?"

Missy shook her head no and wiped at her eyes. "No, she left, Sir."

"Who? Who left?"

"Misses Hermione, Sir. She saw you and Misses Pansy, and she ran away."

 **Hermione outside Draco's door**

Hermione smiled as Missy opened the door. "Hello, Missy. How are you?"

The house elf smiled back, excited to see her, then her ears drooped and she peeked behind her towards the living room.

"Missy is good, Misses Hermione. Sir is not available to speak at the moment. He has company right now, although Missy would much rather Misses Hermione be the company that Sir keeps."

Hermione gave a small smile and nodded her head. She was sure it was Astoria that was the company that Missy was speaking of. But she found that she didn't care who he was with, she was going to march in there and tell him exactly what had happened at the ball. That she _did_ want to be with him, and that everything was just a huge misunderstanding.

"I won't take long, Missy, I promise. I just need to tell Draco something very quickly." She said, walking past the elf.

Missy grabbed ahold of her sleeve and tried to pull her back. "No Misses, I wouldn't."

When Hermione showed no sign of stopping, dragging the elf with her towards the living room, Missy finally let go of her sleeve with a squeak and ran off towards the kitchen with her head in her hands crying. Hermione had a funny look on her face as she watched the elf run away, and she felt slightly bad for dragging her across the room. She shook her head, turning to continue walking across the flat then froze.

Draco was sitting on the couch, Pansy half way on top of him, and they were locked in a kiss. From where Hermione stood it looked like they were both fully enjoying it. She stood there for a second, tears stinging her eyes, before turning and running out the door.

No, Draco did not care about her, and he certainly wasn't in love with her. Not only taking Astoria out publicly, but snogging Pansy behind closed doors? How could he do that to her? Her aside, how could he do that to Blaise?

All she knew as she ran from his flat, was that she was done. Draco Malfoy hadn't changed, he'd done what it took to get what he wanted, and she had stupidly fallen for it.

* * *

An hour later found Hermione sitting in the pub, at the bar, with a glass of fire whiskey. It was her second glass, and Tom was watching her from the end of the bar, worried at what had brought her there so early in the day. She was muttering to herself about what a fool she was, and certainly not paying attention to anything going on around her. So when a certain red haired man walked up, she didn't notice him until he sat next to her and pulled her glass away from her.

"Whatcha doin?"

She turned and glared at him, grabbing her glass back and drinking the rest of it in one gulp. "What's it to you, Fred?"

"Whoa there, Hermione. What's got your knickers in a twist?" He motioned for Tom to bring them another round.

She sat silent for a few moments, while Tom poured their drinks, and then she sighed and dropped her head onto her arms on the bar top while mumbling something Fred couldn't understand.

He picked up the hair that was falling over her face. "What was that?"

She lifted her head and stared straight ahead. "I said, if I am supposed to be the brightest witch of our age, then how in Merlin's beard did I fall for Draco Malfoy's crap?"

A look of understanding passed over Fred's face, so that's why she was here. He had already been there with Lee and another friend when she walked in earlier. He had watched as she ordered a drink and sat at the bar by herself, looking utterly lost. He couldn't remember a time when he had ever seen her look so upset.

"What did the ferret do?" He asked.

She threw her hands up, almost knocking over her drink, and started ranting. "What doesn't he do? He doesn't care, that's what he doesn't do. He played me, he got me to come back and do this job for him, and now it's done and he has no need for me anymore. He starts running around with not one but _two_ girls, I mean he doesn't even bother to hide it!"

Fred's eyes darkened and he tossed back his drink before signaling to Tom to get them another round. Tom's eyes flickered to Hermione worriedly and Fred winked at him. "One more round and we will get outta your hair, Tom."

Tom sighed and poured them another round, before taking the money from Fred and walking away. Fred looked back to Hermione and waggled his eyebrows. "Don't say I didn't tell you I would be the obvious better choice. I mean really, Hermione, what did you expect from him?"

"I expected better, you don't know what he was like, Fred. While we were in Australia it was like he was a completely different person, okay not a _completely_ different person. But he had definitely changed, and now I don't know if any of it was real, if Theo and Blaise being nice to me were just part of the plan. It makes me sick to my stomach, Fred. How could I be so stupid?" She turned to look at him, and he couldn't help but notice how absolutely beautiful she looked in that moment.

He sighed and nodded towards the two drinks she had sitting in front of her. "I think the only thing that's going to make you sick to your stomach is if you finish those drinks."

She looked down at the untouched glasses and nudged one over to him. They both threw it back and she laid her head back down in her arms.

"Nu uh, Hermione, let's get you outta here. C'mon, I'll take you home." Fred said, pulling her off her bar stool and towards the door.

"I don't want to go home! I don't have a home, Fred. It belongs to him, it's in his name. I haven't given him the money for it yet. I don't even want it anymore, do you know he put a library in it? You would think that was so thoughtful, but noooooo, just all part of his plan." Hermione prattled.

Fred rolled his eyes, he didn't want to hear her complain about Draco anymore. Everyone had warned her, she hadn't listened, and now she was surprised? "Hermione, do you want me to take you to the Burrow? You know no one will mind you staying there for a little while."

She stopped walking and looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Fred. I'm being horrible company aren't I?"

He laughed and shook his head. "To be fair, I intruded on your self pity party. Say, I have an idea! Why don't you come check out the new shop? It's almost ready to open, right in time for all the kiddies to start at Hogwarts again."

She thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Okay, sure I would love to. I can just go to the lab afterwards then and finish unpacking everything. That way I can be finished with this whole ordeal."

"If you want any help at the lab, I would be more than willing to help out?" He offered, but Hermione shook her head vigorously.

"That would be a horrible idea. If Draco ever found out you were there he would make trouble for you, I'm sure of it."

"Right, well let's go then shall we?" He held his arm out for her to take, then apparated away.

* * *

Hermione ran her hands along all of the things that were lining the shelves. She remembered how popular the twins' shop was when they first opened. She sighed, thinking back to that year, her sixth year. She had missed Fred terribly that year, no one to stay up late and have conversations with. Ron was always with Lavender, and Harry was busy tailing Draco everywhere he went, when he wasn't off with Dumbledore somewhere. She had been so lonely that year, even going as far as to write Fred letters during her time alone, but she had never sent them.

She sighed, turning towards the back of the shop where their office was. She started walking towards it to see what was taking Fred so long to grab their newly reinvented patented daydream charm, when she saw that there was an accounting book laying open on the till desk.

She reached for it, scanning over the books, reading the numbers. It seemed that the shop in Diagon Alley was doing quite well, but then she saw something that didn't make sense. She frowned, reaching for the quill that had been laying next to it, and started to redo the numbers so that they read right.

"Hey, sorry it took so long, George forgot to package them up. They were just sitting in the vault, all by their lonesome selves. What are you doing?" Fred said, coming up behind her.

"Your books, they were off right here, see? If they are off for this day then they are going to be off for the rest of this month." She said, pointing to where she was correcting the mistakes.

Fred peered over her shoulder, his body lightly pressed against hers, and nodded. "Yea, I see what you mean. Thank you, that could have been a disaster considering it's only the first week of the month."

He was so close to her that his words came out quiet and his breath tickled her ear. She flushed realizing how close they were, and turned her head towards him, looking at him over her shoulder. "I can keep an eye on them for you if you want? Check them once a week."

She didn't even realize she was whispering, her voice sounded loud in the quiet space between them. His eyes flickered down to her lips, and she wet them unconsciously. He sucked in a breath as he looked back into her eyes.

"You are a bloody brilliant witch, you know that right?" He whispered as he started leaning towards her slowly.

She nodded, and he closed the gap between their lips with a soft chaste kiss. His lips lingered on hers for a few moments, tasting of fire whiskey, until he pulled away slightly.

"I'll take that as a yes then?" He whispered.

She didn't respond, her head still tilted up towards him and her eyes closed. She could have sworn she heard him whisper "fuck it" under his breath before he grabbed her thighs and lifted her onto the desk, stepping in between her legs and bringing his lips down to hers again.

She responded with fervor, as she wrapped her hands in his hair and pulled him closer to her. He had one hand on the back of her head and the other at the small of her back. She pulled back from him after a few seconds, breathing heavily, and locked eyes with his.

"Fred, I don't know if we should do this." She whispered.

"Why the hell not?" He growled, leaning in to catch her lips with his again.

His hands traveled down to pull her shirt out of her skirt, causing her to arch into him when she felt the warm skin of his hands on her bare back. She moaned into his mouth and he thought it was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. He felt himself growing hard against his pants, and pressed closer into the space between her legs so that she would feel what she was doing to him. He started laying her back on the desk when the door slammed open, causing him to jump away from her as she quickly hopped off of the desk and started straightening her shirt and hair.

They looked towards the door to find a very unamused George standing there. Hermione couldn't even bring herself to meet his hard gaze, but being that as it was, his angry look was all for Fred. Fred lightly chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"George, what are you doing here? I thought you were closing the shop down tonight?" He asked.

"We were slow, so I closed it down early. The girls are actually on their way here to help us finishing setting up for the opening." George said, his tone that of an angry parent who had just caught their child with their hands in the cookie jar before dinner.

At the mention of the girls, Hermione's breath caught in her throat and she thought back to that day at the Burrow when she had assured Katie that nothing was going on between her and Fred. Feeling awful, she started for the door, not able to look at either of the boys.

"I should be going. I'm sorry, George." She said, awkwardly.

"No, Hermione. There isn't any reason you can't stay." Fred said, moving towards her. But George held out an arm, blocking Fred and nodding to Hermione.

"It's fine, Hermione. We will see you later."

Hermione fled as fast as she could, missing the nasty look Fred was giving George. When the boys heard the door shut, Fred pushed George's arm away from him.

"What the hell was that about?!" He shouted at his brother.

"When are you going to learn your lesson with her?!" George shouted back.

"What is your damn problem with me and Hermione? I like her! I have since our sixth year, you know that! I've never understood what your problem was with that, or what your problem is with her?!" Fred yelled, leaning back on the desk where Hermione had been sitting.

George rounded on him and threw his hands up in the air. "You are such an idiot, Fred! Hermione is like a sister to us! Did you ever think about what would happen if you two were to start up and it ended badly?! The whole family would be forced to choose between you two! Who do you think they would choose? Trust me, not because they'd want to, but out of loyalty. She'd be cast out of the family, the only family she has left! You can't do that to her!"

"First of all, speak for yourself because I certainly do NOT see her as a sister. That's horribly disgusting, seeing as I just had her bent over this desk. Second, you have NO way of knowing what would happen in the future! Is that really why you have been so against it this whole time? Is that why you keep pushing Katie on me? Even if something happened and Hermione and I decided to go our separate ways, do you really think I would have her exiled from the family? I would never do that!"

"You have no way of knowing that, Fred. No way at all, and she will be the one that gets hurt because of it. If you were serious enough about her, then maybe this would all be different, but you aren't. So I'm doing what I have to do, to make sure neither of you get hurt." George's voice softened.

Fred's eyes narrowed as he glared at George. "Why do you think I'm not serious about her?"

George gave him a look that said that answer should have been obvious. "If you were, Fred, you would have made a move in school. You would have gone after her the moment you woke up, you would have fought for her. You sure as hell would never have let Draco Malfoy get his hands on her, and then there's Katie-"

"Don't bring up Katie." Fred growled at him.

George gave him a sad smile and shook his head. "You made the jump with Katie, don't ruin that too."

He stepped forward and put a hand on Fred's shoulder. "The choice is yours Fred, but ultimately, you made your choice the night of the ball."

Fred looked away from his twin, eyes focusing on the open book beside him. "People make the wrong choices all the time, George."

* * *

Hermione took deep breaths, as she walked away from the shop and towards the lab, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart down. It had been embarrassing enough for George to walk in on them like that, but then the moment he had brought up Katie, Hermione felt like the worst person in the world.

The girl hadn't even crossed her mind as Fred had kissed her, and if she was being honest, neither had Draco. She felt almost guilty about that, almost. She froze when she heard the familiar voices of Angelina and Katie coming from ahead of her. Ducking into the nearest alley way, sure that they hadn't seen her, she hid in the shadows. As they got closer she could make out what they were saying.

"So you're telling me that you haven't even seen him since the night of the ball?" She heard Angelina ask.

"Not at all, not even a word. I don't even know if I should be here right now Angie, what if he regrets what happened? Maybe I should just give him some space? I don't want to be pushy." Katie said.

Hermione frowned at Katie's words. What had happened that Fred would have regretted?

"You guys slept together, Katie. He wouldn't have done it if he was going to regret it later, George swears he's just slow with all of this relationship stuff. Don't worry, everything will be fine!" Angelina assured.

Hermione felt like her heart was in her throat again, her eyes wide, as the girls' voices faded as they walked farther away. Fred and Katie had slept together the night of the ball? Yet, he had just snogged her in the shop?!

The thought made her feel dirty, and upset all over again. She wrapped her arms around herself and felt tears stinging her eyes, ducking out of the alley way and heading towards the Three Broomsticks, so that she could floo home. Apparating made her feel sick as it was, with the way she felt now she knew she would lose the insides of her stomach if she tried to apparate home.

She had never felt so angry and betrayed in her life. With Draco, it was only a matter of time. But for Fred to do that to her, and to Katie? She never had thought that Fred would be capable of such a thing.

When she finally made it home, she collapsed on her bed, tears finally falling. Crookshanks jumped up and sat next to her, mewling softly while nudging her hand. She pulled him close to her and buried her face in his fur.

"When did I become a blubbering pathetic bint, Crooks?"

He lifted a paw and set it on her mouth, as if to tell her to stop calling herself names. She gently laughed through her tears. It seemed that he was the only man she could count on these days.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** See the little option that says favorite? Next to where you're about to leave a review? You should totally click it :) Also, I've come up with an alternate ending to this story, both of which I will be posting! I will finish the story and post its original ending, then I will post the alternate ending and PERHAPS a few more chapters to go along with IT. (Grins evilly) But first I need all the reviews! All the follows! And all the favorites! From all of MY favorites! (That's you guys!)


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** First of all, I LOVE all the reviews I am receiving! They are so amazing and you guys rock!

Second, I think I need to clarify my ending note on the last chapter. So there are a few of you who were saying you were hoping that this story would be a little bit longer after I revealed that it would only be about 13 or 14 chapters long. Well I already have the story outlined and there wasn't anything in my brain to make it any longer than was outlined, HOWEVER I did start thinking of an alternative ending. So, I will finish this story as planned, and then once I've finished it I will post the alternate ending. The alternate ending will probably have a few more chapters behind it. As of right now, I want to post the alternate ending the same time I post the epilogue so when it gets to that point it might take me an extra week to come out with those. If any of this is still confusing please feel free to DM me to clear up and questions you still have :)

Third, since my stories always play out in my head like a movie there is another song in this one. During the very last scene I always imagined "Swept Away" by Lennon Stella, playing in the background. I don't know if you guys are even listening to them when I put them in but I swear, to me the music makes a world of difference in the emotion I feel when reading those particular scenes.

Thank you to all guests, svets light spot, iamaReaderiamaGirl, ksouza3, jperks, Raven that flies at night, Electrocorrosive, Jen7, KaTee19, shaymars, stephalopolisO9, Cassany, DoubleKick, Elxie, JuliSt, dragonjun, Sassystarbuck09, sashimiyum, Chester99, fefetwimom, and Onyx Obsidian for all the lovely reviews!

Thank you to svets light spot, PunkPrincess06, Angelique Collins, LoSeRviLLe PoPuLaTiOn FiVe, porcelain2013, halobella85, Rinoagirl89, lambotran, Usagi Grandchester, IceLeviosa, blondii123, Sasha2121, indyjones88, CrystalOpal. Forbsiee, Snowflake Dazzle, MattylovesKyo, Team-Switzerland1008, mataya noseda, Cat130, Danikae, Jen7, catgirl87, cool bnr, CamJ, pheonixgirl315, StoryAtTheBottomOfTheBottle, Lleblanc3, and FandomLover98 for following the story.

Thank you to the real chosen 1, LoSeRviLLe PoPuLaTiOn FiVe, SDZ, halobella85, Usagi Grandchester, x-charlieanne-x, blondii123, MattylovesKyo, mataya noseda, Danikae, pheonixgirl315, cutiepiiiie98, and catgirl87 for adding the story to your favorites.

And last but certainly not least thank you so incredibly much to pheonixgirl315, Makele 880, Cat130, x-charlieanne-x, halobella85, SDZ, and svets light spot for adding me to your author alerts list and/or your favorite authors. It means the absolute world.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

Draco stared at the parchment in front of him blankly, as he had been doing for the last half hour. He couldn't stop thinking about what had happened three days earlier, and whether or not he should say anything to Hermione.

Sure he was upset over what had happened at the ball, and again at the tea shop, but he certainly didn't feel right about her walking in on Pansy attacking him with her mouth. It made him sick to think that she saw what had happened, and had probably completely misunderstood the situation.

If she had a mind to tell Blaise what she had seen, he figured he would have heard from the Italian by now, but he hadn't. In fact he heard that Blaise had left for Italy the day after everything had happened, and as far as he knew Pansy hadn't gone with him, so maybe _she_ had told him what she had done. Draco knew there was a heart deep down in there somewhere in that girl.

His thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on the door, and Narcissa entered. "Mother? I thought you were going on holiday?"

Narcissa sighed and sat down across from him. "Well I was planning on leaving, I made a little detour to the lab however, needed to have a little chat with a certain Gryffindor. According to Theo she still plans on leaving the company tomorrow, so I take it your talk did not end well?"

Draco frowned and rubbed his eyes. "Nice to know you're the one who sent her, she walked in on a rather unfortunate moment between Pansy and myself."

"P-Pansy? What on earth are you talking about? Have you gone completely mad?" Narcissa cried.

"She attacked me! I pushed her away, but apparently the damage had been done. I didn't even know that Granger had managed her way into my flat until after the fact!"

"What about Blaise? You shouldn't have even been anywhere near that kind of situation with that girl, Draco! Merlin, what am I going to do with you?" Narcissa threw her hands up and sat back in her chair.

"I don't see what it matters anyways, she wants nothing to do with me."

Narcissa stared at him incredulously. "Pansy or Hermione?"

"Hermione, Mother. Her actions at the ball proved that." He sat back in his chair and threw his quill down. Apparently he wasn't going to get any work done this afternoon.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you are an idiot." She muttered. He glared at her, which she countered and continued. "Your Father may have made you think you weren't entitled to happiness, but you are, my Son. You are free to be with who you choose, you need to stop putting so much pressure on upholding the Malfoy name."

"I'm not worried about all that pureblood supremacy bullocks, I put myself out there for her and she rejected me! Like I wasn't good enough for her! And you know, maybe I'm not good enough for her, but it sure as hell hurt just the same."

Narcissa's eyes softened and she reached across the table to take his hands. "Have you even spoken to the girl about what happened to make her change her mind so quickly?"

He shook his head, looking down at the desk. "The last time I spoke to her, I wasn't exactly very nice."

"Well maybe you should try again. Talk to her, Draco, she has to come in tomorrow anyways doesn't she?"

Draco looked up at her with a tired expression, making Narcissa smile at him knowingly. When would he learn? Mother is always right.

* * *

Hermione took one last look at the lab and sighed before pulling the door shut behind her. Everything was finally complete and she would hand over everything to Theo tomorrow.

She put on a warm smile for the reporter that was headed down the hall towards her. He was a short chubby man who happened to be good friends with Arthur Weasley, and who happened to be one of the only reporters she knew who had any integrity. So when the Prophet contacted Theo about doing an article on the opening of the lab, she had requested him to be the one to do it.

"Miss Granger! How lovely to see you again, my dear." He said, reaching out and shaking her hand.

"You as well, Mr. Puddinton. Where would you like to start?"

He looked around and pushed his glasses higher up on his face. "Well first, I would love to get some photos of you with Firenze out in the front, and then perhaps some of you in the lab as well? Then we can do the Q and A part of it, if you don't mind."

Hermione frowned slightly and started walking him towards the front. "I don't mind taking a few photos with Firenze in the front, but I think any other photos need to be taken with Mr. Nott and Mr. Malfoy, this is after all their lab. I will answer any questions to my best ability, but those should also be screened with them as well. After today I won't be having anything to do with the lab, all I did was mediate between them and the Centaurs."

"Mr. Nott did mention that you weren't sure if you would be continuing with them after the opening. Arthur told me that you were offered a job in the Magical Law Enforcement department, will you be taking that instead?" He asked, a quick-quotes quill moving steadily against the parchment that was hovering beside him.

She smiled warmly down at him, for he was a few inches shorter than she was, and shook her head. "No comment, Mr. Puddinton."

He laughed and raised his hands in mock defense. "Ok, ok. Arthur said you wouldn't wanna talk about personal things, but it's my job to try."

She laughed along with him and pushed the front door open, waving for Firenze to come over. When he reached them, she introduced the two, and after posing for a few photos took him back inside. They sat behind the large information desk that was situated right at the front when you first walked in, and jumped right into the next part of the interview.

"So, Miss Granger, it's no secret that you and Mr. Malfoy didn't quite get along in Hogwarts, how was your relationship with Mr. Nott?"

"Honestly there wasn't any kind of relationship between Theo and I. He was always the quiet Slytherin that never got himself into trouble. Whereas Harry, Ron and I were always getting ourselves into trouble, and half the time Draco was a part of it in some way."

"So were you surprised when it was Mr. Malfoy that showed up on your doorstep asking for help?"

"Surprised would be putting it mildly. I was…going through a rather difficult time, when Draco showed up. Shocked as I was to see him there, asking for my help no less, I was preoccupied with other things."

"Arthur told me about your parents, Miss Granger. I'm very sorry for your loss, do you mind answering if Mr. Malfoy was sympathetic to that aspect or did he expect you to jump right on this project for him?"

Hermione thought for a moment before speaking. "Draco appeared at what was possibly the most horrible time of my life. The only familiar face, when I really needed someone to lean on. Given our history before and during the war, he genuinely surprised me by taking care of me while I was at my worst. He waited until I was ready to deal with anything work related and again, given our history, didn't _expect_ me to help him as much as he _hoped_ I would."

"Would you say that you were willing to help him because he helped take care of you in your time of need?"

"I admit that did have something to do with it, but what Draco and Theo are doing for Wizarding Hospitals all over the world is truly amazing. I feel honored that they chose me to help, and we're all grateful that a peaceful solution was able to be found concerning the Centaurs."

He nodded at her and scanned over his notes. "I don't think I really have any other questions for you then, Miss Granger. I think I can leave the rest for Mr. Nott and Mr. Malfoy."

Hermione nodded as well and led him back over to the door. Pausing half way out, he turned back to her and asked her one last question. "Would you consider them your friends now? Or was it just strictly for business that you were seen out in public more than once with Mr. Malfoy?"

She felt her blood run cold and her face flush with color at being caught off guard with the question. After a few moments she found her voice, and it came out more firm and harsh than she intended. "Any and all outings with Draco were strictly business related."

Whether it was because she was upset with him still, or because she didn't want to have the benefactors asking questions again, she didn't know.

* * *

She looked over all the papers that were spread across her dining room table and the surrounding chairs, making sure that everything was in order for her to pass the files along to Theo the next day.

She frowned when she heard a tapping at the window of the library. She had a hunch it was Errol again, Fred had been using him to send her owls every day since what had happened in the shop. Sighing, she went into the library to let him in, sure enough that's exactly who it was.

After she gave Errol a treat, she opened the letter and scanned its contents.

 **Hermione-**

 **I'm not entirely sure why you are ignoring my letters. I've sent Errol over half a dozen times to you, and I even tried stopping by your flat, only to be told by the owners of the shop that I wasn't allowed up. I'd really like to talk, so please…talk to me.**

 **Yours,**

 **Fred**

Hermione rolled her eyes and crumpled the paper up, throwing it into the fireplace. She walked back out, to continue going over the papers, when she was startled by a knock at the door. Crookshanks' ears perked up and he jumped off his perch next to the table and padded over to the door, staring up at it.

Hermione froze, knowing that there were only a handful of people that he liked, and obviously one of those people was standing on the other side of the door. "Who is it?"

"It's Ginny, let me in! I've brought dinner!"

She let out the breath she had been holding and went to the door, opening it quickly, allowing Ginny to come inside. She hadn't seen her since the night of the ball, always replying to owls saying that she was too busy at the lab to hang out, when truthfully she just didn't want to be faced with all the questions she knew the red head would have.

"So since you've been avoiding me, I figured I would bring dinner to you that way you couldn't run away. We have a lot to catch up on!" Ginny exclaimed, unpacking all of the food from the bag she brought.

Hermione smiled, seeing that Mrs. Weasley had cooked all her favorite things for Ginny to bring. "I haven't been avoiding you, Gin, I really have been preoccupied with work."

Ginny looked at her over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "You have always been a terrible liar, 'Mione. Besides, I happen to have a certain brother that won't stop bugging me about you, which makes me think that something happened. He won't confirm or deny my accusations, but you on the other hand, well I can read you like a book my friend."

Hermione frowned and went over to the table to start picking papers up and putting them into their rightful folders. "I'll talk to him when I want to talk to him. Right now I don't feel like speaking with him, so tell him to just back off."

Ginny's mischievous grin was replaced quickly by a worried frown. "'Mione, what happened? With everything that happened at the ball clearly not sorted out, why is Fred all of a sudden hell bent on speaking with you? And why are he and George at odds? I've never seen them upset with each other."

"Oh and I suppose that's all my fault?! Ask Fred what happened! Better yet, ask George." Hermione scoffed.

Ginny looked hurt by her words and turned back to the food. "I'm asking you. I know my brothers can be prats at times, but I've never seen them like this."

Hermione sighed and threw her head back, stacking the folders into a neat pile. "Well you were there when what happened at the ball happened, you know that part. I haven't really gone anywhere other than work since then, when I finally decided to meet Theo out for lunch, Draco was there with Astoria-"

Ginny gasped. "Theo set you up?!"

Hermione shook her head. "No, Theo swears he didn't know they were going to be there. Anyways, Draco and I exchanged less than pleasant words which caused me to leave and go take my anger out on the lab. Then Narcissa showed up and basically told me to just tell Draco the truth about that night, which she doesn't even know what the truth is, but she's convinced that Draco and I are in love and it will all work itself out. So what do I do? I decide that he should know the truth, and I show up at his flat unannounced, and push my way past his house elf. What do I get for it? He's snogging Pansy in the sitting room."

Ginny's eyes went wide and she covered her mouth with her hand. "No! How could he?! How could he do that to Blaise?!"

"That's _exactly_ how I feel. I knew deep down that the other shoe would drop eventually, it was all too good to be true. But for him to stab Blaise in the back like that? I was absolutely horrified and disgusted. So after seeing that I went to the pub, drowned myself in a few glasses of fire whiskey, and ran into your brother who tried to cheer me up by taking me to see the new shop. One thing led to another, and before I knew it we were snogging on the till desk, which George just happened to walk in on."

"Oh Merlin, I'm embarrassed for you. No wonder George is so mad at him, they've barely spoken the last few days." Ginny was blushing as red as her hair.

Hermione held a hand up for Ginny to stop talking. "It gets much worse."

"What could possibly be worse than all that?" Ginny cringed.

"When I left, Angelina and Katie were on their way to the shop, so I ducked into an alley way to avoid them. As they were passing, Katie was talking to Angelina about how Fred hadn't spoken to her since the night of the ball, when they apparently hooked up."

"No they didn't! Merlin, this all explains so much. Fred was in a right foul mood the day after the ball, and Katie hasn't been around since. I just figured they got into a fight or something. Oh, 'Mione, what are you going to do?"

"Honestly I have no idea, Gin. I'm turning in all of the papers to Theo tomorrow, I already gave my resignation. But I really don't know if I want to work at the Ministry, everything is just such a mess."

"You could always return to Hogwarts with me, finish your last year." Ginny suggested.

"I always thought that I would go back and finish, but I just can't see myself going back at all now. I just need some time to figure it all out."

Ginny looked pensive for a moment before moving forward to hug her. "Why don't you come to the Burrow tomorrow for lunch? I promise I will make sure Fred isn't there."

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Would it be selfish to ask if it was just us, Harry and Ron? I could use all my best friends right now."

Ginny gave her a large smile and hugged her again. "Of course it can be just the four of us! Why don't you come by after you're done with Theo?"

"That sounds perfect."

"Well I'll leave you to finish your work then. I'll see you tomorrow!"Ginny said, giving her a hug and then showing herself out.

Hermione stared at all of the food on the counter and sighed again. "I'll never be able to eat all of this, Crooks."

Crookshanks had gone back to laying curled up on his perch by the dining room table, tail swishing back and forth.

"I miss Australia." She whispered.

Crookshanks picked his head up and meowed in response, sitting up and looking straight at her. More than anything she wished that she could visit her parents gravesite in that moment, they always knew what to do.

* * *

Hermione walked slowly down the hall that lead to Theo's office. Ever fiber in her being wanted to turn and risk a glance at Draco's office door, but she wouldn't allow herself to look anywhere but straight.

She was wearing a maroon business jacket over a crisp white blouse that was tucked into a matching maroon pencil skirt. The Gryffindor colors had helped to give her courage as she strolled through the front doors and up to the top where the guy's offices were.

She knocked on Theo's door and frowned when she didn't get an answer. She waited a few more moments and then turned towards his secretary's desk which was also unoccupied. She leaned over the desk, looking around for a sign of anyone being there, when she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

She blushed and leaned back, turning slowly to meet the grey eyes that she so desperately had wanted to avoid. Draco stood there, arms crossed with a folder in one hand, an unreadable look on his face.

"I was dropping all of the files off to Theo, he was supposed to be here this morning." Hermione said awkwardly.

"He had to leave early this morning for some last minute business in Ireland." Was his equally awkward reply.

Hermione nodded and stepped forward, holding the stack of files out for him to take. "Right, well here are all the files then. I unpacked the entire lab and took the inventory, the sheets are on the first table when you walk into the main lab. Everything looks good and passed all inspections, Firenze stayed behind to make sure that everything was moved in and started up smoothly. The rest of the Centaurs are gone, the land belongs to you guys now so there's no more paperwork needing to be filed as far as that is concerned."

Draco was silent, just staring at a spot on the wall behind her head. She opened her mouth to say goodbye but he held his hand up, stopping her. "I'm sorry, for the way this all ended. For what it's worth, I wasn't using you to get what I wanted."

Hermione looked down at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. "What's done is done, Malfoy. You have your lab, and apparently you have your pick of whatever pureblood witch you desire, so it seems as though you have everything you could possibly want."

He looked angry and narrowed his eyes at her. "That isn't fair, Granger. You chose Weasley, that was your choice not mine. As for what you saw with Pansy, that was a complete misunderstanding."

"Sure it was, Malfoy, and for the record I didn't choose Fred. You jumped to that conclusion all on your own." She brushed past him and headed for the elevator to leave.

He turned and grabbed her arm so she couldn't walk away from him any further. "Then tell me what changed at the ball!"

She spun around and tore her arm out of his grasp. "It doesn't matter what happened at the ball! You immediately started taking Astoria out in public like you were dating, and I don't care to even know what was going on with Pansy! You didn't let me explain anything to you, Malfoy."

"Then explain it now."

She looked at him sadly and shook her head. "It's too late, it doesn't matter anymore."

She turned to leave again and this time he let her go. They locked eyes as she stood in the elevator, amber meeting grey. As the doors shut he took a step forward, as if to stop her, but her words echoed in his head and he wasn't sure if anything he said would change them.

 _It's too late, it doesn't matter anymore._

* * *

Ginny yawned and stretched out in the lawn chair she was occupying, reaching over to the table settled between her and Hermione to grab her glass of lemonade. It was a beautiful day and just the thing needed to brighten up the mood Hermione was in.

She had showed up at the Burrow about an hour after she had spoken to Draco, looking as if she had been crying, with a red face and puffy eyes. Ginny had ushered her inside and upstairs to change and calm down a bit before they had joined Harry and Ron for lunch.

After only a few minutes around her friends she had felt much better. Harry and Ron were soaring above them on their brooms, while they lounged out, enjoying the sun.

"If you want to fly with them you know you can." Hermione said, also reaching for her lemonade.

Ginny shook her head and settled back against her chair. "No, this is perfect. The sun feels good! I feel like it's been forever where it's just been the four of us able to hang out like this."

"I know what you mean, I feel as though I've been a horrible friend since I've been back. I've barely spent any time with you guys." Hermione removed her sunglasses, settling her gaze on Ginny.

"Don't be silly, 'Mione. If anyone has been a bad friend it's been us. Harry blames himself for all of this mess. He says he shouldn't have let you leave in the first place without one of us, and Ron…well Ron likes to pretend that nothing is wrong. He's smart, a lot smarter than most give him credit for, he knows the gist of what's been going on but that's the way he deals with things."

"By pretending they don't exist." Hermione finished for her. "It isn't Harry's fault, it's no ones fault but my own. I mean really, Gin, who was I kidding? Draco Malfoy? Have I gone completely nutters?"

Ginny removed her sunglasses and looked at Hermione with a sad look on her face. "That isn't completely fair, Hermione."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that he's changed. I don't know if it's because of you, or if it started long before you, but I know that he's changed. He cares for you, anyone could see that at the ball. If you had only told him what those ladies said to you, if you told him _why_ you did what you did, he would forgive you."

"And I'm supposed to just ignore the fact that he's been out with Astoria and Pansy?" Hermione scoffed.

"Weren't you just snogging Fred?" Ginny chided.

Hermione flushed under Ginny's gaze and leaned back in her chair, focusing her eyes on the boys flying above them.

"There's been nothing but miscommunication between you two the entire time you've been back. Maybe you should just sit down with him and talk, you guys are so stubborn, you're going to sabotage what could potentially be something really good for the both of you." Ginny said, her tone softer.

"Things were so much simpler in Australia, Gin. I miss my parents, I hate not being able to visit their graves." Hermione said, tears filling her eyes.

Ginny looked at her friend for a long while before speaking again. "If you really wanted to go back, no one would blame you, if that's what you _really_ want."

"But if you think that we won't be visiting frequently, you're crazy." Harry said, coming up behind them.

The girls turned to see him and Ron standing there, they hadn't even realized they had come down from their brooms. Harry leaned over and kissed Ginny, sitting on the end of her chair and pouring himself a glass of lemonade. Ron just stood there, looking like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure if he should.

"Spit it out, Ronald." Hermione said affectionately.

"I just never pegged you for a quitter, 'Mione." He said after a few seconds, coming around to sit at the end of her chair.

Everyone looked at him incredulously and he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not defending the ferret if that's what you're all thinking. All I'm saying is, I get why you left in the first place, but I wouldn't understand it if you left again. We grew up with Malfoy trying to knock us down all the time, what makes it any different now?"

Hermione didn't respond right away, very unsure of how to tell him that it wasn't just Draco that was causing her to want to flee again, but Fred as well. She sighed and took a drink of her lemonade, reaching out to lay a hand on his arm. "Please don't take this wrong way, Ronald. I don't want _any_ of you to take this the wrong way, but it just doesn't feel like _home_ anymore, you know? Nothing feels right, I can't go anywhere without a reporter in my face, or the Prophet spinning stories about my personal life. I don't want to see Draco every day, feeling the way that I feel. I don't want to take a job at the Ministry that I'm not passionate about, I was passionate about the lab."

Ron grimaced when she mentioned having feelings for Draco and Harry sighed, looking at Ginny, who only had eyes for Hermione. She reached out and put a hand on the brunette girl's knee in support.

"As I said before, 'Mione. No one will blame you for wanting to go back to Australia." She said, giving Ron a look that told him to keep his mouth shut.

Hermione smiled, a tear falling down her cheek. Maybe that was the answer, maybe going back could mean a fresh new start for her. Sighing, she nodded to her friends, she had a lot to think about.

* * *

Later that night, Hermione found herself wandering around Muggle London alone and thinking about everything that had happened in the past few weeks. Her mind wandered from everything that had happened with her parents, to Draco, to Fred and her friends. The things that the ladies had said at the ball, and whether or not she even thought it would be possible to be happy with Draco regardless.

The whole situation was starting to really bother her, she was Hermione Granger for Merlin's sake! When had she become this woman who relied solely on a man to make her happy? If anything the two men in her life were the ones making everything so extremely difficult right now!

The lab _was_ a project that she had been passionate about the more that she had worked on it. But there were always more labs in Australia, there were labs all over the world that she could work in if she wanted to. It was strange how she always imagined herself working at the Ministry doing some sort of job that helped people, and now she couldn't imagine herself doing anything other than creating and developing potions for hospitals.

If she _were_ to leave however, it would be just like Ron said it would be, like she was running away. She had never thought of herself as a coward before, would going back really make her one? And could she leave, knowing that things had ended that way with Draco? With Fred?

But then there she went again, thinking about the guys over her feelings, or was it just that she was focused too much on her feelings for both guys? Really though what difference would it make? Fred had slept with Katie after he told her he had feelings for _her_ , and then turned around and snogged her after he slept with Katie. It had been disrespectful and a downright terrible thing to do to two people he considered friends.

Then there was Draco, and no matter how hard she tried to stay mad at him, she found that she couldn't. After all it really was all her fault that everything had happened the way it had. If she had just gone straight to him and pulled him aside, and told him everything from the beginning, then maybe things would have been so different. But even thinking of that made her angry because whether or not she had explained he had still gone out with Astoria, right away too, she might add. Would it have always been that way every time they got into a disagreement? Could she truly have made him happy? Could he have made her happy? Do people really change that much?

She really was at a loss and for the first time in her life she felt like she didn't have the answers to anything. She felt hopeless, and as it started to rain she looked up towards the sky and silently pleaded for her parents to give her a sign, anything to help aid her decision. She felt the wind pick up slightly, blowing her hair out of her eyes as silent tears spilled from them.

"Are you ok, Miss?" She heard a small voice ask.

She turned to look where the voice had come from, and blinked in surprise when she saw a small boy standing there wearing a bright yellow raincoat with matching hat and boots. The wind picked up again, blowing the hat off of the boys head and Hermione's breath caught in her throat. She didn't know how much more obvious the sign could possibly be when she saw the color of the little boy's hair. She laughed and nodded towards him while reaching out to place the hat, that had been dangling from a tied string under his chin, back on his head.

"You better go find your Mother." She said, half laughing and half sobbing.

The little boy gave her a knowing smile and nodded enthusiastically. "I hope your day gets better, Miss. You should go home and talk to your Mommy, mine always knows how to cheer me up!"

She laughed again as she watched him run away, into the waiting arms of his Mother. She looked up towards the sky again, saying a silent thank you before she made her way back to Diagon Alley.

She determinedly walked down the streets, ignoring the stares she was receiving, until she was standing at the door that would lead to the first step towards the future she was going to embrace. Lifting a hand, she took a step back as the door swung open before she even had the chance to knock.

She swallowed hard as she looked up into the man's eyes, blushing as his lips turned upwards into a grin that made her insides melt just a little.

"I was wondering if you would show up." He said.

She nodded and smiled up at him, feeling a huge weight being lifted off of her shoulders as he moved aside so that she could step into his flat.

"Hello, Fred."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** OMG, OMG, OMG! No really though, please don't kill me. Just to clarify, THIS IS NOT THE END! The last few chapters some of you have commented on it being the ending. This chapter is not the end, there is still more to come, in another week when I update again! Love you all, please no rotten tomatoes. Just lovely reviews! Oh, and please hit the favorites button when you submit a review :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** The more I think about it the more I don't know if I'm going to do two endings. Now I'm leaning towards the second ending I came up with…I don't know, decisions decisions.

Sadly, the last chapter had the least amount of traffic as far as likes and follows. This makes me very sad you guys. :( As a result this is a short chapter because I am working on changing around my outline.

Thank you to spruitt18, ScarlettGwenivere, Danni007, milocachica, SlytherinSounds, brighteyes2889, labass, ForeverTheWhiteTiger, kayleighnik, KendraStarkiller, MissLizet, madhatter, mstffy, and Cassiobiagrangermalfoy for adding the story to your alerts list.

Thank you to spruitt18, ScarlettGwenivere, Grolet, Draco and Hermione Malfoy, Electrocorrosive, MissLizet, mstffy, and labass for adding the story to your favorites.

Thank you to clo06ud and Draco and Hermione Malfoy for adding ME to your favorite authors list.

Last but not least thank you to naz, ksouza3, its me, livingdeadchic1105, Kiwiflea, all guests, NinjaPenguinLover, Electrocorrosive, Elxie, Onyx Obsidian, Giminia Wow, shaymars, Jen0318, Raven that flies at night, JuliSt, Chester99, and Cassany for reviewing the story.

 **Disclaimer** : I own nothing

* * *

Hermione shifted nervously under Fred's gaze and looked around his flat, trying to keep her eyes focused on anything but his brown ones that were staring at her. She cleared her throat and looked down to her hands, which held a mug of hot chocolate that he had made her.

Raising an eyebrow, he moved from where he was standing across the wall opposite from her to the couch that she was sitting on. She shifted away slightly as he sat next to her, reaching over to take the mug away and set it on the coffee table.

"You act as if though I'm going to hurt you, Hermione."

"I know you aren't going to hurt me, Fred. Not physically anyways." She muttered.

He frowned at her and leaned away from her a tiny bit. "Now what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"You know very well what you did, Fred! Why did you sleep with Katie?! Then go and snog me in the shop?!"

He had the grace to look embarrassed, eyes growing wide and face getting red. "Who told you about Katie?"

"Does it matter who told me? It happened, after you said you didn't even like her like that. That's a horrible thing to do to poor Katie. I can't imagine how she's been feeling since the ball!"

"Now that isn't fair! We drank way too much that night and one thing led to another and it just happened!"

"Then you turned around and snogged me afterwards? Do you have no respect for women at all?"

"What do you want me to say, Hermione?! Of course I have respect for women, I just happened to make a very big mistake that night."

"You knew she liked you, Fred. You knew it and you still put yourself in that position." She stood from the couch and walked across the room, putting distance between them, looking out the window down onto the bare streets of Diagon Alley.

Fred leaned back on the couch and ran a hand through his hair, letting out a long sigh. He watched her looking out the window and realized that she looked tired, and sad. He stood up and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a hug. After a few moments she wrapped her arms around him as well and laid her head on his chest.

"This would never have worked, would it have?" He asked.

She smiled sadly against his chest and shook her head. "Maybe if things had been different, perhaps if we had admitted back in Hogwarts how we felt about each other, we wouldn't be here right now."

Fred rested his chin on the top of her head, thinking about what George had said to him the day he had walked in on them in the shop. "You know I'm never going to think of you as a sister, like George does."

"I would certainly hope not, considering you snogged the day lights out of me in the shop. I would hope you don't kiss your sister that way." She laughed.

He laughed and kissed the top of her head, before letting her go and taking a few steps back. "I'm sorry for what happened, truly I am. About Katie, about taking advantage of you, just about the whole mess."

"You didn't take advantage of me, Fred. I wasn't drunk, I knew what I was doing and I wanted it just as much as you did."

He looked at her for a few moments before reaching out to cup her cheek, lifting her head so she was looking up at him. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to kiss you right now."

"Then I should probably go, it's for the best, Fred. You really should give Katie a chance, if I was the only thing standing in your way of even trying to see if there was something there between you two, it won't be a problem anymore."

He looked at her with sad eyes. "Don't go back to him."

The tone of his voice startled her, and she shook her head and took a step back. "What?"

"He doesn't deserve you, Hermione. I don't know what happened between you two, but I do know that much. He hasn't changed, he's only going to hurt you."

"I appreciate your concern, Fred. Though I'm not sure if it's jealousy or protectiveness speaking."

"You know, I'm always going to be here looking out for you." He put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall.

Hermione nodded, heading towards the door. "I know you are. Just remember that even though I may not _physically_ be here, I'm here for you as well."

He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly, but she just laughed and shook her head. "Goodbye, Fred."

"Don't say goodbye, it's not goodbye. We'll see each other again, you know that."

Hermione nodded and opened the door, taking one last look back at him, before walking out and closing the door on whatever could have been between them. As she walked away, heading back to her own flat, she realized that while Fred stirred up feelings of lust in her they weren't quite feelings of more than that. Sure she felt affection towards him, but nothing like how she had started to feel about Draco. She smiled, knowing that she was making the right decision. After all, her parents had sent her a sign, and her parents had never been wrong about anything.

* * *

Theo watched, as two girls he had no idea were on friendly terms engaged in what looked like a very serious conversation outside Gringotts. Daphne had been in his year and a Slytherin at that, so the fact that she was talking with Ginny Weasley peaked his interest.

He wound his way through the people on the street so that he could get closer, in attempts to hear what they were talking about. But luck didn't seem to be on his side, because Ginny saw him once he was close enough to catch a few stray words.

"Theo, trying to spy on us are you?" She asked.

Daphne turned and looked at him, narrowing her eyes and shaking her head. "You never were good at being sneaky."

"Well what can I say? I didn't realize that you two were on friendly terms, let alone that you even spoke to each other."

"It's easy when you have something to bond over, like how stupid Granger and Draco are being." Daphne rolled her eyes and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"What's it to you? Weasley here I can understand, but you aren't friends with Hermione, and to my knowledge you aren't exactly friends with Draco. Besides, shouldn't you be happy that he's available for your sister now?" He asked, leaning against a broom rail.

Daphne gave an unladylike snort and flipped her hair again. "I'm not the biggest fan of my sister, or my mother most days. What my mother said to Granger at the ball was so completely uncalled for, and of course being the loyal Gryffindor she is, she went and sabotaged whatever relationship she had with Draco to save your business."

"Daphne!" Ginny cried, moving to smack her on the arm and giving her a look that clearly said she wanted the blonde to be quiet.

Daphne gave her a weird look and then looked at Theo, her face growing serious when she saw the look of shock he was wearing. Ginny rolled her eyes and brought a hand up to rub her temple.

"What are you talking about?!" Theo exclaimed.

"Do you think things would be the way they were if she had been honest with them about that night?" Ginny asked her.

Daphne looked ashamed to have said anything and was wondering how to explain herself to Theo. "It's not my story to tell."

"The hell it isn't! What is she talking about Weasley?" Theo asked again.

Ginny and Daphne shared a knowing look before the redhead opened her mouth to speak. "Daphne's mother said if Hermione continued to see Draco then the Greengrass' would pull their funding from your business."

"That's putting it mildly." Daphne muttered.

Theo rolled the information around in his head, piecing together the events of the night and finally understanding why everything had gone as it had. "Why didn't one of you say something earlier?"

"Because it really isn't our place to say anything, Hermione didn't want you guys to lose funding. She knows that Draco doesn't have full control of the Malfoy estate and that it could possibly mean you losing full control over your business and she didn't want that." Ginny said.

"She should have told him the truth! He's been miserable this whole time with Astoria, no offense Daphne, thinking that she chose Weasley over him, no offense Ginny."

"None taken." The girls echoed.

"You know I have to tell Draco this."

Daphne nodded her head and threw up her hands. "I agree that he should know! Merlin knows Granger is a far better match for him than my sister!"

"Hermione doesn't want that! All she wants to do is go back to Australia and live in peace with no more drama." Ginny sighed.

Both pairs of eyes looked at her incredulously, she blushed and realized the mistake she had made in admitting what Hermione's plans were.

"She can't go back to Australia! She's Hermione _freaking_ Granger! She helped defeat Voldemort! Surely she can't be that put off by a bunch of old women who are clearly bored with their lives?!" Daphne cried.

"No but she can be put off by seeing Draco parade around your sister. She cares for him, why would she stick around to see him with someone else?" Theo said quietly, observing Ginny for a sign that he was right.

The redhead lowered her eyes to the ground before looking up at him and slowly nodding. "She just wants a fresh start."

"Well she could have a fresh start with Draco if she would just come clean. I swear if I hadn't promised you I wouldn't interfere I would have already told him by now. I know what it's like to be forced into a marriage that you don't want, that's what's going to end up happening to him if he relies that much on my father's money to keep your guys' business afloat." Daphne said, crossing her arms.

"If Lucius would just sign over the estate it wouldn't be that big of a deal. It's not like he's ever going to get out of Azkaban." Theo muttered.

Ginny looked like a light bulb went off in her head. "When does Narcissa get back from Holiday?!"

"She never went, why?" Daphne said.

Theo understood perfectly where Ginny's head was at. "Brilliant, Weasley! That's absolute genius!"

"Why didn't you guys ever think about it before?" Ginny asked.

"Draco refuses to go see his father. He would never ask him willingly, Narcissa on the other hand would have no problem asking. Why she hasn't asked before is beyond me, actually." He scratched his head.

Daphne shook her head. "What in Merlin's name are you two going on about?"

Ginny and Theo just looked at each other and laughed. Theo swung an arm around Daphne and leaned on her. "You know, there's definitely something great about Slytherins and Gryffindors mixing together. Now all we need to do is get you out of your marriage to Pucey and set _you_ up with a Gryffindor."

Daphne blushed and ducked out from under his arm. "What Gryffindor have you been shacking up with?"

"None, yet. Although I think we would make a pretty good team, Weasley." He moved to throw his arm around Ginny's shoulders, missing that Daphne's cheeks had grown bright red.

Ginny rolled her eyes at him and pushed his arm away. "In your dreams, Nott."

She reached for Daphne and they started walking away down the street together, Theo watching them go with an affectionate smile on his face. He turned and apparated to Malfoy Manor, hoping that Narcissa was home. If Hermione was planning on going to Australia, they had to act fast.

* * *

Hermione frowned as she heard a knock on her door. It had been two days since she talked to Fred and since then she had been busy packing up her flat. Harry, Ginny and Ron had all offered to help her but she had wanted to do it on her own, the Muggle way, so she had declined.

She wasn't expecting anyone, and the fact that Crookshanks hadn't moved from his spot on her bed told her it wasn't anyone he was fond of. She made her way down the hall as the knocking continued.

"I'm coming!" She yelled, then a little quieter, "hold your horses."

Opening the door she smiled when she saw that Theo was standing there. "Well this is a pleasant surprise, you neglected to tell me that you wouldn't be at the office when I went by to drop off all of the files."

He grinned as she moved aside allowing him entrance. "I didn't tell you I wouldn't be there? Funny, I could have sworn I sent you an owl."

She rolled her eyes as she shut the door. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Well, I ran into two little birds on the street a couple of days ago, funny thing was they were twittering about how you sacrificed your relationship with Draco to save our business. Apparently one little birds mother threatened to have her husband pull his funding?" He picked up one of Crookshanks toys and started playing with it.

Hermione blushed and her eyes narrowed. "And just who were these little birds you're speaking about?"

"That doesn't matter, though something tells me I don't need to tell you for you to figure it out. My question is, why would you do something like that? Draco and I can take care of ourselves you know, he would have put that old biddy in her place if you had just told him."

"I'm not going to be the reason you guys lose control of your business, things are better this way. Besides, I tried to tell Draco what had happened and he didn't want to hear it, he just wanted to jump to conclusions."

"Can you blame him, Hermione? You had _just_ admitted to having feelings for that Weasley twin."

"I told him I had feelings for him back in school!" Hermione argued.

At the sound of her voice rising, Crookshanks padded out from the bedroom. When he saw that Theo was tossing one of his toys around he immediately went to retrieve it, swiping at the part that was lying on the floor, and pulling it out of Theo's hands.

"You told him that the guy just admitted he had feelings for you." Theo argued back.

Hermione moved to the kitchen, filling up a kettle with water and placing it on the stove. She moved around slowly, gathering things to make tea and settled everything on a tray before moving to sit at the table across from him.

"Unfortunately, even though the war is over, it seems as though it's still going to be hard to get pureblood supremacists to change their ways. Obviously the Greengrass' fall into that category, with the exception of Daphne, who I assume is one of the little birds you were speaking about. As long as it seemed that Draco and I were in a relationship of any kind, Mrs. Greengrass made it clear that she would be there to cause trouble."

"Don't you think that you should have given Draco a chance to defend your relationship though? Or defend himself? At the end of the day this is our business and we would rather not do business with people like that, Hermione. Why didn't you at least tell me?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, Theo. I didn't want to make things complicated. Draco seemed to move on quite quickly, so how do I know any of it was ever real? It's as though he did what he needed to do to get what he wanted, honestly I even thought that perhaps you and Blaise were in on it. It's not like we were ever friendly in school."

Theo frowned as she got up and took the kettle off of the stove. "That hurts, Hermione. We may have never been friendly in school but I've given you no reason to doubt my friendship."

She had the grace to look ashamed as she brought the kettle over and poured them tea. "I'm sorry, Theo. I guess my guard is just up, please tell me you understand why?"

"I do understand, but he hasn't been taking this well either you know. He was really hurt by what happened, even if he will never admit it. He had a really hard time getting to a place where he was ok with his feelings for you, then when he _finally_ let his guard down, you hurt him. So he lashed out by doing something that he thought would hurt you, which was stepping out with Astoria."

"Given our history I hardly feel like he was that upset." She rolled her eyes.

"You didn't see him that night. I've never seen him get so riled up over a bird before, not since…" He stopped abruptly and paused for a few seconds before giving a short laugh.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him and tilted her chin up. "Since who?"

Theo looked into her eyes from across the table and shook his head. "I just realized…it's always been you, for Draco, it's always been you, Granger."

"What do you mean?" She looked confused.

"You know, I've only ever seen him get all crazy about one girl his entire life, I just realized that. Back in school you made him so angry, just for having magical abilities, and given your heritage. The last year before the war got really bad he overheard you defending him to Harry, or at least trying to get Harry to stop accusing him of being a Death Eater, and it made him angry that you pitied him. After the war he was annoyed that he had to go find you in Australia, and now he's angry because he thought you rejected him. There has never been one other girl that can stir up that much in him like you can."

She blushed and looked down at the table, pondering his words. "I think you may be looking too far into it, Theo."

He shook his head at her. "No, I'm definitely not. You can't go back to Australia, Hermione. You can't leave like this."

"Oh Merlin, what else did these two little birds say to you hmm?" She glared at him.

"We can fix this, I know we can." He reached over the table and took her hands in his.

She shook her head sadly and squeezed his hands back. "I'm afraid it's too late for that, Theo. I've transferred the funds into Draco's account for the flat and I will be renting it out, and I've already taken a position at the Australian Ministry. Their hospital is ran and operated by their Ministry as opposed to being independent."

"I didn't think that Gryffindors had it in them to quit." Theo said softly.

Hermione outwardly flinched, remembering Ron's words to her a few days before. But their words wouldn't derail her plans. It wasn't quitting, it was giving herself a fresh new start. After all, she had asked her parents for a sign, and they had sent her a little boy with chocolate colored hair like her own, and a message to go see her Mommy.

* * *

Draco poured himself a fire whiskey and went to sit in front of the fireplace in his sitting room. He had been notified that Hermione had made a deposit into his account for the flat, and after a little digging he also found out that she was putting it on the market to rent out. He didn't know where she planned on living, but obviously she didn't plan on staying at the flat any longer.

Missy came into the room, followed closely by Theo. She turned around and glared at him before turning back towards Draco and cleared her throat. "Mister Nott was _supposed_ to wait for Missy to announce him."

Theo laughed and patted her on the back. "No need to announce me, Missy. Draco here was expecting me."

He went over and sat opposite of Draco after he poured himself a fire whiskey. The blonde raised an eyebrow as he held his glass to his temple. "I was?"

"You were, you're an idiot you know that right?" He asked.

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, sounding very uninterested.

"I found out what happened the night of the ball, I also found out she's leaving again. So if you want to pull your head out of your arse right now would be the time to do it." Theo drawled.

Draco's eyes snapped up to him and he scowled. "What do you mean she's leaving again? And what happened at the ball?"

Theo leaned forward in his chair with a thoughtful look on his face. "Have you ever thought of asking Lucius to sign over the estate to you?"

"What does that have to do with Granger? And no, I don't need to ask that man for anything."

"What if I told you that Hermione was threatened at the ball? That the Greengrass' threatened to pull funding if you continued to step out with her, and if they pulled their funding then others would follow?"

Draco looked at him long and hard, the glass he was holding dangerously close to breaking from how hard he was grasping it. "Is that what they said?"

Theo nodded and drank his fire whiskey in one gulp. "She didn't want us to lose control over the lab, or _any_ of our businesses. That's why she told Mr. Greengrass that she didn't have a future with you."

"Why didn't she just say something to me?" Draco's voice softened.

"She tried to, but you went and yelled at her in front of the entire room, and then foolishly started taking Astoria out just to piss her off."

Draco shook his head and started to stutter. "I-I didn't know. When did this even-how did this happen? Why didn't she keep trying to tell me?"

"Look at it from her point of view, you were horrible to her in school, then barely spent a few weeks showing her that you changed, although half the time you had mood swings that reminded her of the old you. Then when you finally let your guard down enough to fully let her in, you shut her out at the first sign of trouble, resorting right back to your old self and your old ways by trying to hurt her. Can you blame her? I mean really, Draco, can you really blame her?"

Draco sat silently, not having anything to say to his dark haired friend. He felt horrible, angry, and annoyed all at once. How it must have looked to her, to be threatened by Astoria's parents and then to see him take her out. It was a wonder it didn't push her straight into the Weasley twin's arms.

"How…how is she?" He finally asked.

"She's leaving soon. She wants a fresh start, back in Australia. She thinks that you played her to get what you wanted. She thinks it was all just a game to you, she even accused Blaise and me of being in on it." Theo said, standing to pour himself another drink.

"She's seen Blaise?"

Theo paused, before resuming pouring his drink. "No, no one has seen Blaise since that little stunt Pansy pulled. I don't know when he's coming back, but Daphne said Pansy moved her stuff out his place. I don't think they're going to be reconciling any time soon."

Draco was silent again for a few moments before an angry look passed over his face. "Who the bloody hell do the Greengrass' think they are?"

"Unfortunately, large donators to our business. Which is why I asked if you've given any thought to asking Lucius to sign everything over to you."

"I don't want to ask him for anything, I've already told you that. We'll just have to find the money elsewhere." Draco snapped.

"If you tell them we don't need them we can only make it a few months on our own, with no extra help. That's without dipping into our personal accounts."

"Right now I'm not worried about that, when did you say she was leaving? That's my first priority."

Theo didn't answer him immediately which made Draco turn to look directly at him and repeat his question. "When does she leave, Theo?"

"She leaves first thing in the morning, she's already taken a position at the Australian Ministry. Most of her things are packed and ready to go."

Draco got up to leave immediately but was stopped by Theo's next words. "She isn't home right now, she's at the Weasley's saying goodbye. They wanted to throw her a proper going away party, don't ruin it for her, mate. Just let her say her goodbye's and talk to her later tonight. Let's go to the office and decide what our next move should be."

As much as he didn't like it, he knew that Theo was right. He would let her have her goodbye's with the Weasley's. But if he had it his way, she wouldn't be going anywhere.

* * *

Narcissa held her head high as she walked down the hall to a small dingy room that smelt of death. She paused, as the man in front of her unlocked the door and opened it, moving aside to allow her in.

"You have ten minutes." He said.

She nodded politely, walking past him and into the room. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, thank Mr. Potter for pulling the strings ma'am." He nodded towards her and closed the door, leaving her to squint into the dimly lit room.

She heard a low throaty chuckle from the table she could barely make out. As she walked closer she could see the dirty man sitting there, face ashen and sunken in, hair matted and dull. At first she felt pity for him, but the crazed look in his eye reminded her that he was exactly where he should be.

She sat down across from him at the table and set a folder on the top of it. He leaned in closer, right into the light, and she gasped when she saw the full extent of his imprisonment.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of being called from my cell by none other than Harry Potter himself?" His voice was hoarse, and crackled as if he hadn't drank any water in days.

After a few moments she finally found her voice. She looked straight into his eyes, daring him to deny her what she was about to ask of him.

"Hello, Lucius."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Please review :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note** : Soooooo I decided to get rid of the original ending and go with the alternate one instead. Which means that so far I have three more chapters outlined after this one, and at least a few more to come after that!

Thank you to stephrob92, romeondjuliet4-ever, NoLifeIsWithoutAStory, Blazing Unicorn, Kou Shun'u, kaybear2010, gypsymooneysgirl7733, GhostDoor, and hi-chew for adding me to your favorites and alerts lists.

Thank you to Mistyfur of ThunderClan, OgaxHilda, lionheartwitch, kaybear2010, Lea Theo, meweeks, Ikolodziej, Kotten, Shellmar, vampire and inuyasha lover 13, Roseweasley85, gypsymooneysgirl7733, GhostDoor, and AinaDPinky for adding the story to your favorites list.

Thank you to NeoVictus, OgaxHilda, golden rose spn, uicchi, Paty Selenita, bgilitiuk, latinadecorazon, ilikebooksok, Bryany1, Neverland is my home, goldenthree, katbear2010, meweeks, mangekyo, Lady Annastasia, Bianca the crazy Slytherin, Ikolodziej, fvstar2, samashhh, Shellmar, Elizabeth Tym, sammijo2012, TroubleMaker1397, gyspsymooneysgirl7733, PhALLoPhoBiA, masterdestroyer3245, AinaDPinky, lionheartwitch, and Cool-Under-Fire for adding the story to your alerts list.

Last but not least thank you so incredibly much to all the reviewers for the last chapter! All guests, OgaxHilda, Helena W.G, Jen7, ksouza3, kaybear2010, Kou Shun'u, Ikolodziej, livingdeadchic1105, jperks, IGOTEAMEDWARD, caringe3, naz, Cat130, Electrocorrosive, Chester99, Jen0318, ItzelNox, stephalopolisO9, Usagi Grandchester, Giminia Wow, Cassany, JuliSt, sofisamu, morethanbooks, Onyx Obsidian, Elxie and Raven that flies at night.

Just a little thing I wanted to bring to attention, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I enjoy reading every single review that I get, good or bad, and I appreciate the people that jump to defend me and the story as well. But please let's not fight through reviews, or pm's, I just want everyone to enjoy the story as much as I enjoy writing it. Thank you.

 **Disclaimer** : I own nothing

* * *

Lucius Malfoy was not an easily intimidated man, except for when it had come to his father and Voldemort. But following the dark lord was something he had done out of fear, and under approval of his father, and it was something that he very much wished he could take back. Of course he wouldn't tell a soul that, not even his wife, though he was sure that she already knew how he felt.

When he had learned that his son had switched sides, he had felt a surge of pide for the first time in a long time towards Draco. It had pained him to watch his home be taken over and his family treated so poorly in their own living quarters. He had watched as Draco withered away under the pressure and stress of being a Death Eater, and had been surprised that Narcissa had held up better than either of the Malfoy men had.

When Harry Potter had defeated Voldemort, and his side won the war, Lucius was glad to know that Draco would come out the other side safe. He was glad to know that the Malfoy line wouldn't end in Azkaban, and he had high hopes that Draco would make their name a proud one again.

But as he sat across from his wife, who he had never expected to see again, he found himself in angry disbelief. To be told that Harry Potter had arranged their meeting meant that Narcissa was on good enough terms with him to ask for such a thing, and though Draco had switched sides, he hadn't expected them to become actual friends with the boy. But what was even worse than Draco being friends with Harry Potter, was Draco falling in love with that _mudblood_ Granger girl.

He literally had no words as Narcissa explained the entire situation to him, gingerly touching the folder sitting on the table. The folder that held the papers she wanted him to sign, the ones giving Draco full control over the Malfoy estate. Full control so that he could use all of the Malfoy funds to support his business, so he didn't have to rely on people like the Greengrass' to keep it running, so that he would be free to be with the girl regardless of what anyone else thought.

No, this was most certainly not what he was expecting to hear when he had been told he had a meeting with his wife and that it had been arranged by Harry Potter. He lifted his eyes to meet hers, and knew that no matter how angry he was with his son, he could never be angry with her.

"Are you telling me that you actually condone this?" He finally asked her.

She nodded slowly, a small smile appearing on her face. "You should see them together, Lucius. She's his perfect match."

"He hated her in school, how in Merlin's name did she worm her way into his bed?" He snapped at her.

"Merlin, Lucius! Who said anything about her being in his bed? I'm telling you she loves him and her love has changed him into a better man, a far better man than you turned out to be."

He scowled at her and narrowed his eyes. "If you think I'm going to sign over anything to him so he can run off and marry that girl then you are very mistaken, Narcissa. I will not have the Malfoy name be tarnished with her dirty blood, I will not have any grandchildren of mine being half bloods!"

She rolled her eyes at him and laughed. "My dear, do you think you are ever going to meet your grandchildren? You're never getting out of here, and I approve of her, a lot more than Astoria Greengrass that's for sure."

"So that's how it is now then? I get life in prison and you two get to play happy little house with Harry Potter and his friends?" He sneered.

" **YOU** are the reason you are in here, Lucius. Do not ever forget that you have no one to blame except for yourself. Our son was brave enough to make the right decision, and I will forever stand behind him and support him for it, and you **WILL** sign these papers so that he can control the entire estate. What he and Theo are doing for the community is a wonderful and great thing, something Malfoy's for generations can be proud of, something you should be proud of."

Lucius bit his tongue and thought about what he could possibly say in response to that. He had known of the boys' intentions to open their potions business, and had watched his son's dream go down the drain at the return of Voldemort. To know that he and Theo were able to fulfill their dreams gave him a sense of pride, and he didn't want to take that away from Draco. However, he couldn't let him tarnish their bloodline, he wouldn't.

"Narcissa, I am not signing those pap-"

"You will sign these papers, Lucius. You will or I will speak to Mr. Potter and make sure we are in understanding that Draco is to get full control over the estate, one way or another. Do you understand me?" She interrupted him, her tone going ice cold.

His eyes widened and he started sputtering, knowing full well what her words meant. He never thought her capable of doing him harm, he never thought her capable of doing _anyone_ any kind of _real_ harm, yet here she was threatening to have him given the dementors kiss so that her son could inherit everything.

Deep down inside, there was a little voice telling him that he was to blame for the cold stare she was giving him. That it was all his fault she looked at him with such contempt. He knew that she would always love him, but she would always love Draco more.

"Do you want to die, Lucius?" Her cold tone filled the room.

He looked at her from across the table and felt the blood go cold in his veins. No, Lucius Malfoy was not an easily intimidated man, but deep down he _was_ a coward. He reached for the folder slowly, as the infamous Malfoy smirk found its way onto Narcissa's beautiful face. He sighed as he read over the papers.

Coward indeed.

* * *

Draco glared at Mr. Greengrass, who was sitting across the table from him. Him and Theo had gone to Greengrass Manor to confront the family, after deciding that they would figure out how to keep their company afloat without the help of the benefactors that threatened to leave them.

Mrs. Greengrass was looking down her nose at them, while Astoria was admiring her nails from her seat beside her. Daphne had chosen to sit next to Theo, she had been surprised to see that they had come to talk to her parents, but she was happy that Draco was sticking up for what he wanted. If only _she_ were that courageous, Hermione must have really rubbed off on him.

"So let me get this straight, you no longer want us to be benefactors to your business, and you no longer wish to do business with half of the benefactors that you have left?" Mr. Greengrass asked amusedly.

"We no longer wish to do business with anyone who thinks it's appropriate to threaten a woman." Draco snapped.

"I did not threaten her, dear Draco. I simply said that she was making a fool of herself and of you and that if you were going to continue to embarrass yourself that we would have no part of it." Mrs. Greengrass snapped back. "Furthermore, you were _supposed_ to be married to Astoria by now. So to embarrass our family further by getting romantically involved with someone like her, well something had to be said about it, and she seems reasonable if she left you because of what we said. She obviously realized that nothing good would come of your union."

Draco snorted. "She left because she cared enough to not put our business in danger, she left because unlike you she actually has class and cares about other people, not just herself. I'll admit it was my fault for taking Astoria out, because I did it to upset her, not because I actually wanted to. You can stop trying to shove your daughter down my throat because it isn't going to happen. Things change, _times_ _have_ changed, arranged marriages are a thing of the past. It's never going to happen."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "See? Everyone else gets it, why can't you guys?"

Mrs. Greengrass looked surprised. "You love Adrian, Daphne! You've loved him ever since you were a child, what's gotten into you?"

Daphne blanched as Theo made a gagging noise. "I do NOT love Adrian! Why in Merlin's name you've ever thought that is beyond me, but I certainly do not love him."

"Enough! You will marry Adrian and that is final! Now, getting back to business-" Mr. Greengrass bellowed, but was cut off by Draco.

"There's nothing left to discuss, our decision is final." He got up to leave, everyone on the opposite side of the table sputtering about how it was a huge mistake and they would regret it.

Daphne laughed as she stood with them, "I'll show you guys out."

Draco was already half way to the door, Theo waited for her to stand and offered her his arm, making her blush. "My lady."

"Why thank you kind sir." She laughed, taking his arm, ignoring the sound of distaste her little sister made.

"You know, if you really don't want to marry Adrian, you could always run away and just not marry him. Or pass him off to Astoria, whichever you prefer." Theo joked.

Daphne rolled her eyes and smiled sadly. "Our parents signed a contract, unfortunately it can't be broken you know that, Theo."

"That is _not_ a thing that I know. Arranged marriage contracts can, in fact, be broken my dear."

When she looked at him in surprise, he laughed and checked to make sure that they weren't in hearing range of the rest of her family. When he could clearly still hear them voicing their outrage, he smirked. "Marry me instead."

Daphne stopped walking as Draco whirled around and gave him an astonished look. Theo laughed at them both and scratched his head. "Oh c'mon guys, don't act so surprised! I would be willing to sacrifice my bachelorhood so that you could escape the clutches of Pucey. No one should have to suffer that fate, and you know that the contract _can_ be broken if another interested party steps in. Besides, we're friends with Harry Potter now, we could always ask him to get involved and help out."

Both Draco and Daphne just stared at him incredulously, mouths open. Theo laughed and started walking back towards the door, a frown on his face that they couldn't see. "It was just a suggestion. Don't think anything of it."

As he disappeared out the door, Daphne seemed to find her voice and looked at Draco. "Did he just ask me to marry him?"

"I think he did, and honestly it would be much better than being stuck with Pucey for the rest of your life. Even if it did just come out of nowhere, you know Theo isn't a one woman man, but if you married him he would be loyal." Draco said, before following Theo out the door.

Daphne just stood there, staring at the spot where the boys had been. Shaking her head, she turned to go back into the dining room where the rest of her family was still discussing what had happened.

As she sat back down at the table, Astoria glared at her. "Since when did you become so close to Draco and Theo?"

Daphne just smiled at her sister and shook her head. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Astoria just glared at her which made Daphne's smile grow larger. Their parents finally moved to get up from the table, still muttering about how stupid Draco was being and some not so nice words about Hermione. Astoria followed them, mumbling under her breath about how she was sure Adrian would love to hear about Daphne's closeness with Theo and Draco.

But Daphne ignored her, and ignored her parents. She sat at the table for a long time after they had left, a smile on her face and a hint of pink on her cheeks. She had always liked Theo back in school but Draco was right, Theo wasn't a one woman man. But why had he been willing to give that up for her? Or would he actually give it up? Would it be just like a business arrangement? If so, was it worth causing a huge scandal? There were so many questions whirling around in her mind, but despite them all there was one thing she couldn't deny.

Theo had asked her to marry him, and her first thought had been yes.

* * *

Hermione laughed as Arthur was speaking animatedly to her about the internet. To say that he was fascinated would have been putting it mildly. She looked across the table and gave Ginny an amused look as the redhead just laughed at her and shrugged her shoulders. She heard someone pull out the chair on the other side of her and sit down, but since she had turned fully in her seat to give Arthur her full attention she couldn't see who it was. However the whispered words in her ear were a dead give away.

Ron's breath tickled her ear as he spoke. "You're never leaving now that Dad has started in on the internet."

She turned her head slightly to the side and smiled. She was about to whisper something back when Molly interrupted and yelled for Arthur from the kitchen. He excused himself as Hermione and Ron laughed, Ron swinging an arm around her as she turned herself back the right way in her chair. Harry raised an eyebrow at Ron and shared a look with Ginny.

"Where's Padma tonight, Ron?" Ginny asked.

Ron sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. "I don't think it's going to work out with Padma, guys."

"Why not? I thought you guys made a lovely couple, but I have noticed that she hasn't been around as much lately." Hermione said.

"Yea, ever since the ball it seems as though she's spent less time around here." Harry said.

Ron shrugged. "Well let's just say that my lifestyle wasn't going to work out with what she wanted."

Hermione frowned and looked at him questioningly. "Ron, not that there is any problem with the way things were before, but the money we were awarded from the war is enough for any of us to live off of for the rest of our lives without even having to worry about work. How much more comfortable does she need?"

Ron rolled his eyes and leaned in to the table, causing the other three to lean in as well. "Honestly, she was being really flirty with Pucey at the ball, which baffles me cause he's engaged to Daphne Greengrass whose by far a better catch than Padma."

"Ronald!" Ginny and Hermione scolded him at the same time. Harry laughed as Molly came out of the kitchen carrying a roast on a platter, the rest of the food floating magically behind her.

"All I have to say is I'm pretty sure I'm better off without her." Ron said, looking at Hermione with an unreadable expression on his face.

Ginny raised her eyebrow at this, but Hermione was too busy standing to help Molly to notice. They ate dinner and talked and laughed about times in school and times at the Burrow. Just as Molly was bringing out dessert, Fred and George came through the door in the kitchen.

"Sorry we're late, had to do some last minute preparations for the new shop." George said, kissing Molly on the top of the head and plucking a mini pasty from the tray she was holding.

"I could have stopped by the store to say goodbye, you guys didn't have to stop working to come." Hermione said, standing to give them both a hug.

"Nonsense, of course we were going to come say goodbye, the girls wanted to come too but they can't come until later. They said if you have to leave before they get here to give you a hug from them and their best wishes." Fred said.

Hermione smiled at him. "So I take it things are working out with you and Katie?" She lowered her voice so no one else could hear her.

Fred shrugged. "I decided to give it a chance. Who knows what will happen, for all we know George and I may decide to open up another shop, in Australia." He grinned at her.

She laughed and playfully smacked him in the arm. Both of them missing the weird look Ron was giving them. She sat back down as Fred went to the other end of the table to sit next to his dad.

The rest of the night was spent full of laughs and memories, but eventually the time came where Hermione needed to leave. She shared hugs and some tears with Molly and Arthur, before hugging the twins. Fred kissed her cheek as she pulled back from their hug, making her blush slightly. She walked outside with Ginny, Harry and Ron to say her goodbye's, the cold air making her shiver.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she smiled as Ron came over and pulled her into a big hug, offering her warmth. She leaned into him and closed her eyes, breathing in his scent. It reminded her of the days where they would roam the halls of Hogwarts under the Invisibility Cloak and they would have to walk so close together.

Harry came up and wrapped his arms around the pair, pulling them into a bigger hug that Ginny soon joined.

"Do you really have to go?" Ginny asked, her voice muffled from her face being buried against Ron's arm.

"Yea, Gin, I think it's for the best. I need to just focus on myself for a little bit you know? I was so defined by being the brightest witch of our age and Harry Potter's best friend, and then when I came back I was defined by being Draco's girlfriend, or whatever it was that I was. I just want a low key normal life for a while, who knows I may move back eventually. After all, this is really home." She said, sadly.

"You know, you can reinvent yourself here. You don't have to be defined by being Draco's anything." Harry said, as they all broke the hug.

"I just want to visit my parents, try a normal life for a little while, I can't do that here. There's constantly cameras around, and newspaper articles, and I don't want to see Draco with Astoria. Really, that's the biggest thing I want to get away from."

Ron furrowed his brows at her. "Who cares what that git does? 'Mione you are so much better than that ferret! What the bloody hell do you see in him?!"

Everyone just stared at his outburst. "Ron, I don't expect you to understand, and that's alright. But I need you to respect my wishes, ok?" Hermione said, slowly and carefully.

He nodded, but couldn't raise his eyes to meet hers. She frowned but turned towards Harry and Ginny. "Promise me you guys will come visit?" She turned her head to meet Ron's eyes. "All of you."

He nodded as Harry responded. "Of course we will, at least once a month if not more."

She smiled and reached out to hug him again. "I'm going to hold you all to that."

"I wanna visit more than once a month! I wonder if I can talk McGonagall into letting me come see you on Hogsmeade weekends!?" Ginny said, excitedly.

Hermione and Harry laughed while Hermione agreed that it wouldn't hurt to ask. She gave them both one last hug before turning back to Ron. "Can we have a moment you guys?" She asked Ginny and Harry.

They nodded, telling her goodbye one last time, before heading back into the Burrow. She walked closer to Ron, noticing that he wouldn't lift his eyes to look at her again. "What's wrong, Ronald?"

He lifted his eyes to meet hers and sighed. "I just don't get it, 'Mione. How is it that we've been best friends for years and couldn't make a relationship work, but you could be with Malfoy?"

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and she sighed, moving to sit on the bench that was under the tree on the side of the house. "Well, I suppose we didn't really try to make anything work. We were both under a lot of stress, and worried about whether or not Fred would ever wake up, so deciding to just remain friends was the best way to deal with what had happened."

"Is there something going on between you and Fred?" Ron asked, sitting beside her, this time having no problem looking directly into her eyes. She felt herself go red, and was thankful that it was nighttime and he probably wouldn't notice.

"Fred and I are just friends, Ron, that's all." She didn't feel the need to indulge in any more information than that.

He looked at her suspiciously before looking down towards the ground. "I miss you."

She was startled by his words. "You heard Harry, you guys are going to come visit at least once a month."

"No I mean I miss _you_ , 'Mione. The few weeks you've been here you were always with Malfoy and Nott, and now your running away again. It's just not fair, we need you here, I need you."

Hermione frowned at him mentioning that she was running away again. "Ron, I don't know what to say. I'm sorry that I spent a lot of time with them, you're absolutely right I neglected you guys, and for that I truly am sorry." She reached over and grabbed his hands. "As for you guys needing me here, and please don't take this the wrong way, but I spent my whole childhood doing what others needed me to do. I need to do what's right for me, and right now that's going back to Australia. Please understand that."

After a few moments Ron took a deep breath and nodded. He pulled her into a hug and whispered goodbye in her ear one more time, they stood from the bench and she moved forward a few steps to apparate. Before she did, she turned to look at him again, and with a small wave she disappeared.

He watched the space where she had gone, not bothering to turn when he heard someone walking up behind him. He felt someone wrap their arms around one of his and lean into his shoulder, signaling that it was Ginny.

"What's the real reason you broke up with Padma." She asked him.

"I guess I just realized that I made a mistake by letting Hermione go. For the last few years all I wanted was to be with her, then when I had the chance I let it slip right through my fingers. Kind of like I'm doing again, right now."

Ginny sighed and looked up at her big brother sadly. "She's in love with Draco, Ron. You'll only get hurt if you try anything now. You just have to accept that as the truth."

She closed her eyes as she felt him tighten his fists next to his sides. "I've never hated the ferret more than I hate him right now." He said through clenched teeth.

She pursed her lips and nodded slightly against his arm. "I know, Ron. I know."

Ron looked down at his sister and furrowed his brow. "Did something happen between Fred and Hermione?"

Ginny gulped, letting go of his arm and turning to face away from him. "Why do you ask?"

He looked at her suspiciously. "Just a feeling I have, and don't lie to me, Gin."

Fred chose this moment to appear outside, coming over to swing his arm around his sister. "Aww ickle Ronniekins, you know Ginny never lies! What are we talking about?"

Both sets of eyes turned to him, glaring, and he frowned. He looked down to Ginny questioningly. "Am I missing something?"

"I want to know if something happened between you and Hermione." Ron asked, accusingly.

Fred looked back up to his little brother and gulped. "Oh."

* * *

Draco looked up from the legal papers he was signing as Narcissa walked into the drawing room of his flat. He smiled and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and held out the papers for her to look over.

"What are these, Draco darling?"

"These are the future of our company, Theo and I have cut all ties with the Greengrass' and anyone else who wished to pull funding if I had stayed with Hermione. Well, cut most ties anyways, Theo kind of offered to marry Daphne so she wouldn't have to marry Pucey."

"Did he really? I never took Theo to be the marrying type. Tell me, what prompted this?" Narcissa asked, astonished, as she pulled out a chair to sit at the table.

Draco did the same and started organizing all of the papers into a folder. "I found out that Hermione was threatened at the ball, she was told that if we continued our relationship the Greengrass' would pull their funding, as would the rest of the benefactors under his thumb. So Hermione did what she thought was best for us, and without hearing her out, I stupidly paraded Astoria around to try and hurt her."

Narcissa looked angry and she opened her mouth to say something but then shut it again. She did this a few times, which reminded Draco of a fish. "Spit it out, Mother."

"The nerve of those people! I knew that I was right to pull out of the contract your father wanted between you and Astoria, I never liked them. What was Daphne's response to Theo?"

"She didn't really give him a response. I don't think she took him seriously, but I also feel like if he's serious she may warm up to the idea." He said, setting the folder off to the side with a flop on the table.

Narcissa laughed and reached for her bag, pulling out her own folder and setting it on the table. "Well I think that would be wonderful. So tell me, are you going to go after Hermione?"

He nodded. "I am going to head over there right now, see if I can't change her mind about leaving. About giving me another chance."

She smiled and slid the folder slowly over to him. He raised an eyebrow as he reached for it. "What is this?"

"This is your future, Draco. Mr. Potter helped me pull some strings and I was able to see your father. He signed everything over to you, you now have full control over the estate, as soon as you sign those papers." She said, softly.

Draco's eyes went wide, his hand frozen on the top of the folder as he looked at her incredulously. After a few moments he threw his hands up in the air and leaned back in his chair, grabbing the folder to thumb through it. "What is it with everyone asking bloody Harry Potter for favors?!"

Narcissa narrowed her eyes but smirked at him. "I think Mr. Potter was willing to help in any way that he could because he knows how Hermione feels about you, and he knows that if anyone can get her to stay it's you. After all, you are the reason why she's leaving again."

He rolled his eyes from the papers to her and gave her an unamused look. "So Lucius just decided to hand everything over to me? The man I know would have rotted away in Azkaban before signing the estate over to me, how did you get him to do it?"

"Let's just say your father values his life over the estate, I gave him a choice and he chose to live." Her tone was cold but her voice was quiet.

Draco looked across the table at her and felt pity, he was sorry that she had to deal with a husband in prison, and that she had obviously had to resort to being pretty cold to get him to give up control of everything. Narcissa was a lot softer than most people gave her credit for, but he was the only one who really knew that. He stood, and went to place a kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you, Mother."

"Don't thank me, just sign the papers and go talk to Hermione." She said, her tone of voice a happy one again. He smiled and nodded, moving towards the door to leave.

As she stood to leave as well, Missy came into the room holding a letter. "This just came for you Misses."

Narcissa took the letter with a look of confusion, unfolding the scroll and reading through it quickly.

 **Narcissa-**

 **I'm sorry that everything went so poorly regarding Draco and I. I wish the boys nothing but the best of luck with the new lab, and I send my regards to you that I wasn't brave enough to say goodbye in person. With your excellent skills of persuasion I'm sure that you would have been able to talk me into staying. I've decided to leave tonight, instead of tomorrow, so there are no more sad goodbye's. If you ever find yourself in Australia, please don't hesitate to look me up.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Hermione**

Narcissa looked up sharply to tell Draco, but he was already gone. She shook her head and sighed. "Oh dear."

* * *

Draco knocked on the door to Hermione's flat for the third time. It was quiet, and for a moment he thought that perhaps she wasn't home from her going away party yet; but when he lifted his wand to unlock the door to wait inside he was interrupted by someone clearing their throat at the bottom of the long stairwell that led back down to the street.

"If you're looking for Miss Granger, she's gone." The woman said. He recognized her as one of the owners of Flourish and Blotts.

He nodded his head. "Yes, I know, she's at her going away party. I'm just going to wait for her, I'm a…friend."

The woman smiled sadly at him. "I know who you are, Mr. Malfoy. But I'm afraid you're too late, she came back from her going away party a little while ago, and decided that it was better if she left tonight instead of tomorrow."

Draco felt like his heart fell out of his chest at his feet. He looked back at the door and with a quick "alohomora" swung it open. He stepped into the empty flat and looked around, seeing that all the personal touches she had made were gone, only leaving behind the basic furniture that he had ordered when she had first arrived. He walked around, looking for any signs that the woman might have been wrong and there was a reason Hermione would have to come back. But the only thing that was left was an old toy of Crookshanks, one that he had gotten him the first week they had been there. He reached down and picked it up, feeling a cold numbness settle over him, it seemed that the woman had been right after all.

She was gone.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Thank you all for being patient with me while I wrote this chapter. This one took some time to figure out, plus I had **Perchance to Dream** nagging away at my brain. If anyone went and read that I hope you liked it. Also, just to clarify this is not the end of the story. I'm looking at perhaps 18-20 chapters now, at least. Please review!


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I'm so glad that you guys stuck it out with me even though I didn't update for three whole weeks.

Thank you to the lovely reviewers Elxie, stephalopolisO9, livingdeadchic1105, fefetwimom, TinkerLi, MistyMarie143, IGOTEAMEDWARD, all guests, kaybear2010, Electrocorrosive, svets light spot, Chester99, jperks, JuliSt, Shellmar, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgirL, Cat130, OgaxHilda, naz, Onyx Obsidian, and maraudersanarchy.

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 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

Hermione smiled as she set a new bunch of flowers down on her parents graves. She gone to visit them every day since she had been back, which had been about four days. She had a week since arriving to settle into her new flat and adjust to her new surroundings before starting work. Crookshanks seemed to enjoy being back in the warmer weather, he always stayed out on the balcony of the flat and lounged next to the flower boxes she had put out there. The new flat was larger than the last one she had been renting, but still a lot smaller than the one back in Diagon Alley. All of her things had been unpacked and she had furnished and decorated it within the first three days.

Today she had stopped by the hospital to introduce herself, something she was grateful she had decided to do, everyone had stared and whispers had followed her everywhere. Better to get it over with before starting work, however she had a feeling it would continue for quite a while. Anything was better than the attention she was getting in London though.

"I'm excited to start work." She spoke to the headstones. "I feel like I can really make a difference here, without all the scandal getting in the way. Though I'm starting to miss Theo and his jokes." She laughed.

A few moments passed in silence before she sighed. "I miss you guys, I feel so much better now that I'm back, but it still doesn't exactly feel like home."

She frowned as the breeze picked up and twirled her hair around her, tears stinging her eyes. She felt so alone, but so liberated at the same time. It was an odd feeling, like she was where she belonged but there was still something missing. A pair of grey eyes made their way into her thoughts and she sighed again, standing from where she had been sitting in front of the headstones.

She reached a hand out to run along the tops of them both before turning to head back out of the cemetery. She had been gone for most of the day and she was sure Crookshanks was ready to be fed.

* * *

Draco tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for the Ministry official to come back with the notarized and finished paperwork that said the Malfoy estate now belonged to him. He was supposed to be meeting with Harry and Ginny for lunch, _why_ though he wasn't quite sure. Ginny had sent him an owl the afternoon before asking him to meet them, but she hadn't said why they had wanted to see him.

He guessed that it probably had something to do with why he hadn't gone after Hermione yet. It wasn't as if he hadn't wanted to leave right away, but he had to stay and take care of the rest of the paperwork and all the hoops the Ministry was making him jump through.

He sighed impatiently, but sat upright in his chair as the door opened and the man walked back in, carrying the large folder of paperwork.

"Everything looks good, Mr. Malfoy. Congratulations." He stuck his hand out towards Draco, a forced smile on his face.

Draco knew the man obviously didn't like him, or at least didn't like what his name stood for. But he shook the man's hand anyways and took the folder.

"Thank you." He said, curtly. He turned to leave, and quickly wound himself through all of the cubicles to get to the lift.

Not that he really cared what Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley thought, but he didn't like to be late to things. Even if it was only five minutes.

* * *

Theo was grinning from ear to ear as he walked through the Magical Law Enforcement floor, heading for Blaise's cubicle. He was happy to hear that Blaise had returned from his holiday in Italy, and apparently on good terms with Draco.

Draco had told him that Blaise had sent him a few owls over the course of the last few days. Apparently he knew that it was all Pansy's fault and that Draco had nothing to do with it. Even though it had nothing to do with him, Theo felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He didn't like when his friends fought. Especially over silly misunderstandings about pureblood witches who liked to play games with them.

He ducked into the small space that barely fit Blaise's desk, plopping into the chair across from his dark Italian friend. "Hey there mate, glad to see you've finally returned home."

"Yea, I decided it was kind of silly to let Pansy affect my career, I should be here working instead of feeling sorry for myself. It really doesn't surprise me after all, what she did. She always had a thing for Draco anyways." Blaise said, setting his quill down and pushing his papers to the side.

Theo propped his feet up on the desk and leaned back in his chair. "Well you know that Draco wouldn't do that to you, Blaise. Not to mention he doesn't even like her that much as a friend, let alone anything more than that."

"I know he wouldn't. How is he handling Hermione being gone?"

Theo swung his feet back the ground and leaned his elbows on the desk. "He plans on leaving later today actually. He just had to finish everything up with the estate. He's basically taking an indefinite leave of absence from work, until he can convince her to come back again."

Blaise shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "Is that such a smart idea with the lab opening up? Are you even sure she's going to come back this time? Maybe he should just give her some space."

Theo shook his head. "I can take care of everything with the lab, that isn't a problem at all. I agree that she needs her space, but I also agree that he should go down there and at least talk to her. Let her know that he found out what happened and that he still wants to be with her. Strange to think about, really, if you think back to Hogwarts she was the only girl to ever make him act so crazy."

Blaise seemed to think about this for a moment before nodding. "I guess I never really realized that before." His eyes darted to the opening of his cubicle and a warm smile appeared on his face. Theo raised an eyebrow and was about to turn around to see who was there when Daphne's voice sounded behind him.

"Blaise, nice to see you back in town. I'm sorry to hear about what happened with Pansy, I really thought you guys were going to work out."

Theo sat straight up and an odd expression crossed his face making Blaise look at him funny. He turned in his chair so that he could see Daphne, and when she realized that it was him sitting with Blaise a pink hue crept onto her cheeks.

"Theo." She greeted in a clipped tone.

"Daphne. What are you doing on this floor? I thought you didn't have to work, you know with Pucey's fortune and all I thought you just had to be a doting little housewife." His words came out harsh, and unintentionally so. He winced as a hurt look crossed her face and she took a step back out of the cubicle.

"I was just gathering some information, not every pureblood wife has to be a Lady of the manor. What's got your wand in a knot, Nott?"

Blaise chuckled as Theo went red. "Sorry, Daph, I wasn't trying to be rude." He stammered.

"Uh huh." She looked like she was about to say more when a squeaky voice interrupted her.

"Oh, Miss Greengrass, you're still here! The papers on annulling a marriage contract were sent over a lot faster than expected, they must be bored up there." A short squat woman, came running up with papers held out for Daphne to take.

Both men raised their eyebrows at her while it was her turn to turn red. She looked down at the ground, not able to look at Theo. "Like I said, just gathering information."

Theo smirked and stood from his chair, facing her. "Giving my proposal a decent thought then?"

"Proposal? What proposal? What the bloody hell did I miss?" Blaise asked, throwing his hands in the air as he leaned back in his chair.

Theo answered him but didn't take his eyes off of Daphne, who had finally raised her gaze to meet his. "I asked Daphne to marry me, so she wouldn't have to marry Pucey."

Blaise furrowed his brow in confusion. "I thought you weren't the marrying type, I wasn't even aware you two were really friends."

"Everyone keeps saying he's not the marrying type, which is why I have no idea why he asked in the first place." Daphne raised an eyebrow towards Theo.

"I told you I would being willing to help out, you must be thinking about it." He replied, motioning towards the papers she now held.

A sad look crossed her face and she looked like she wanted to say something but she wasn't speaking. Theo looked at her with concern. "What is it, Daphne?"

"I caught Adrain with someone, they weren't really doing anything, just kissing. I guess the whole Slytherin Gryffindor thing is really catching on." She said, her voice small with an edge of anger to it.

"Daphne, I'm sorry. Shouldn't that in itself be enough to break the contract?" Blaise asked, standing to give her a hug.

She shook her head. "Apparently the fidelity clause doesn't go into effect until we're actually married. He knows he can get away with it too, which is why I was looking into this."

"So I'll say it again, why don't you just marry me instead? Wait a minute, did you say Slytherin Gryffindor? Who did you catch him with?" Theo asked.

"Padma Patil. Apparently she's no longer dating Weasley." Daphne rolled her eyes.

Theo frowned. "He made out with Patil? When he's engaged to you? That's completely mental!"

His exclamation made her blush again as Blaise nodded his head in agreement. "It looks like Theo really is a better choice. I never thought I'd say Theo was good for marriage at all." Blaise laughed.

"See?" Theo said.

"Everyone knows you're not the type of guy to settle down, so why are you so insistent on marrying me? You'd be just as bad as Adrian." Daphne scoffed.

Theo frowned and shook his head. "I'm offended you would compare me to that prat. People change, Daph. We're friends, we may not have been the best of friends in school, but we've been friends since we were kids. I'd be willing to help you out of a bad situation."

Blaise raised his eyebrows in surprise at Theo's genuine tone. Daphne just looked at him with a look of uncertainty. After a few moments Theo shrugged his shoulders. "It's not like we couldn't just get divorced after a year or so. But I'll bet you'll fall for me before then."

He winked at her and made a move to leave. "See ya, Blaise."

Daphne watched him go with wide eyes, mouth gaping. She looked back at Blaise who laughed. "I think someone has a crush." He said in a sing song voice.

"I-I do not have a c-crush on Theo!" Daphne stammered.

"Who said I was talking about you?" Blaise said with a raised eyebrow and a large smile.

Daphne shook her head in disbelief and rolled her eyes. "Men."

Blaise laughed as she walked away in the opposite direction that Theo had gone. He waited for a moment until she realized that the lift was the other way, and laughed when a few seconds later she stormed past his cubicle again, muttering about how stupid men were.

He laughed and realized how glad he was that he finally came back. Just when things were starting to get interesting.

* * *

Draco sat, slightly out of breath, down at the table across from Harry and Ginny who were giving him twin looks of amusement. "Sorry, my meeting ran late at the Ministry."

"It's alright, thank you for meeting us." Ginny said, pouring him a cup of tea and handing it to him.

"To what do I owe this request for a meeting?" He asked, quickly looking over the menu.

"Well, we heard that you cut ties with the Greengrass' as far as your business was concerned." Harry started. He paused, as if waiting for Draco to confirm or deny it, so Draco gave him a slight nod in response. "We were wondering if you guys needed any help getting up on your feet?"

Draco looked at Harry as if he had grown another head. Sure, both Hermione and Ginny had said that Harry would help out if it came to that, but with Hermione gone he was surprised that they were still offering.

"Thank you, Potter, but that won't be necessary. You see, Mother got my father to sign over the estate to me. Now that I have full control, not all of the benefactors who said they would pull their support are going to. They would rather keep strong ties with the Malfoy name, and they know that Theo and I are doing work that is really going to matter in our community."

He noted that Harry looked slightly embarrassed at having offered to help him of all people, only to be rejected. "But I do appreciate the offer."

"Well with Hermione gone we didn't want our new found friendship to just fall apart, what kind of friends would we be if we let you and Theo struggle?" Ginny said, ignoring the strained coughs she got from both men at the mention of being friends.

"Speaking of Hermione, have you heard from her at all?" Draco asked, hesitantly.

"She owled us as soon as she settled in. She's enjoying her job, and she likes her new flat a lot better than the other one she had there. She said Crooks is enjoying lounging out on the balcony in the sun every day." Ginny said, tossing her hair behind her.

Draco nodded, and took another sip of his tea. "I planned on going there after this. I just had to finish up the paperwork for the estate."

Harry tried to hide his smirk in a scone he was eating, but Ginny didn't try to hide her smile at all. "So you are going to go after her?"

"Of course I am! At least to tell her that I know why she did what she did. I can't just let her go without letting her know…"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Letting her know what?"

"Oh shut it, Potter. You know what I'm trying to say."

"No, I really don't." Harry laughed.

Draco gave them both a blank stare and shook his head. "I'm an idiot, I get it. I have feelings for her and I screwed things up. But she's not exactly free of blame either."

"Yes, because that is going to make her fall right into your arms." Harry said, sarcastically.

Draco rolled his eyes as Ginny laughed. "Well, we want you to know that you have our full support. But she has stated time and time again that she feels like she needs a fresh start down there, so don't go in spouting your love for her and demand that she come home." She said.

Draco blanched and Harry choked on his scone. "Who said anything about love?" Draco demanded.

It was Ginny's turn to roll her eyes. "Anyone whose been around you two can tell that you obviously have strong feelings for each other. You've just been denying it this whole time."

Draco thought about her words for a few moments while Harry was still trying to clear his throat of the scone he had stuck in his throat.

"I'm surprised you're urging me to go to her, instead of helping your brother out." Draco said, flippantly.

Harry raised his eyebrow and looked at Ginny in confusion. "How did you already hear about Ron? He just figured himself out a few days ago."

Ginny shushed him hurriedly but Draco was already looking at her pointedly. "I was talking about the twin. What's this about Weaselbee?" He asked, icily.

Ginny tried searching for her words but Harry beat her to it. "Ron seems to think he made a mistake by letting her go the first time around, right after the war. He and Padma are on the outs, he's lonely and upset that Hermione left again, not to mention kinda bitter that she spent all her time back here with you and Nott. It's nothing really, he got wind of what was going on between her and Fred anyways. So, he's more focused on how _that_ happened without anyone knowing about it."

Ginny's shoulders slumped, and she briefly wondered why Harry was being so chatty with his former enemy. It seemed that the more time they spent around each other, the easier it was becoming for them both to talk to each other.

Draco frowned and looked back at her. "Did something happen between her and Fred that I should know about? Or at least be prepared for?"

"Not that I know of, I mean, they kissed after she found you with Pansy. She was really upset and it just happened, but George walked in on them and that's as far as it went." Ginny said, hurriedly.

"I see." Draco let out the breath he'd been holding, he expected he deserved that. But it didn't mean that the thought of her snogging the redhead didn't bother him greatly, especially when he didn't willing kiss Pansy. But it wasn't exactly something he could hold against her.

He wondered how they got here, how the two of them ended up in this weird relationship with one another, of all people. His mind wandered over all of the events that had led them to this point, all of the sacrifices they had both made, and the newfound friendships. He looked across the table at Harry and Ginny, who were splitting a croissant and offering some to him like it was the most normal thing in the world.

It was a very foreign feeling, to feel included, to feel like a part of a family aside from his immediate one. Sure he had been close with Theo and Blaise growing up, and acquaintances with Pansy and Daphne until school. But they had never been a big close group of friends who shared croissants and scones together. If he had been told a year ago that this is where he would be now he would have laughed and promptly hexed whoever had said it.

But as he reached across the table, begrudgingly taking the bit of croissant that was being offered to him, he realized that he liked the feeling of being included. To know that they supported him going after Hermione took a weight off of his shoulders that he hadn't realized was even there.

It seemed like everything was falling into place for the first time in a long time. Hopefully, he could get Hermione to come back. No matter how long it took, no matter how much time she needed, he'd give her all the space and time she wanted.

But he vowed then and there that he would get her to come home with him again.

* * *

Ron glared at Fred over a shelf of products in the new shop in Hogsmeade. Fred caught his eye and glared back at him. "Would you knock it off?"

"Yea, Ron, quit looking at him like he's a giant pile of hippogriff dung. He said he was sorry." George echoed, coming out of the back room with his arms full of patented daydream charms and canary creams.

Ron grabbed another box of the fever fudge that he was stocking and gave Fred another mean look. "I still can't believe you would have done that to me, your own brother!"

"Oh come off it, you didn't even realize she was a girl at that point! It's not my fault she fell for my good looks and amazing personality." Fred quipped.

George rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't go that far."

"Aye! You look just like me!" Fred yelled at him.

Ron sighed and shook his head, getting down from the ladder he was standing on. "I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner. What with all that rubbish in the Prophet and what not. Is that why you said her name when you woke up from your coma?"

Fred looked down at the ground and frowned. "You know if I had been able to help it I would have. I knew you had some kind of feelings towards her, and I knew she had feelings for you. But I fell for her anyways, I couldn't help it. You should understand that."

It was a while before Ron finally spoke again. "So how in Merlin's beard did she end up with Malfoy? Over one of us?" It was his way of accepting what had happened, and George and Fred knew it.

George shrugged and began rearranging boxes on a shelf. "Neither of you fought for her."

Fred and Ron both looked at George, then to each other, then back to George. Fred's expression turning angry. "I seem to recall you being _very_ against me fighting for her."

"And her and I decided to just remain friends, it was a mutual decision at the time." Ron said.

George took a deep breath before turning around to look at them both. "Look, I'm just gonna call this how I see it, okay? Ron, you two have been friends for years, and you've always leaned on her for support. Whether it was when you were fighting with Harry, or needing help on your schoolwork, it's always been her that has had to be the one to come to your rescue. As for you Fred, you were too coward to make your move, regardless of what anyone else thought. You didn't go after her when you woke up, which I'll admit was probably the smarter move on your end, but when she came back you didn't try hard enough at all. Not if you really wanted to be with her. Then you pick the ball of all places, when she showed up with another guy and you showed up with another girl, to tell her how you feel about her. Then we have Malfoy, the ultimate pain in her arse since first year. The one who made most of her days at school a living hell, taunted and teased her, then decided to switch sides and fight for us in the end. He saved her during the battle, he went to go see her even though Harry told him she had told you guys to not go. He stayed with her and helped her through the death of her parents, brought her back here and gave her a job, bought her a flat with a library for Merlin's sake! And you two really wonder how she ended up with him instead of one of you two dimwits?"

Ron and Fred just looked at him incredulously before Ron retorted. "He needed her to save his arse with the Centaurs! That's the only reason he went after her!"

"Look between the lines ickle Ronniekins. The thoughtful flat, the careful coddling, bringing her to the ball, buying her dress not to mention dresses for the girls. Why would he do that if he was the same old Malfoy? It's painfully obvious he fell for her, something you two should understand." George argued.

Fred had been quiet, letting them go back and forth but he couldn't hold it in any longer. " **YOU TOLD ME TO STAY AWAY FROM HER**!" He yelled at George.

"Oh, Fred, if you had really wanted her you wouldn't have listened to me!" George yelled back, ducking as Fred threw a box of canary creams at him.

"If you hadn't told him to stay away from her than she may be with Fred right now, which would be a hell of a lot better than Malfoy!" Ron yelled, throwing a box of fever fudge at him.

"May I remind you, she left and all of the above choices are still here? She's alone, she wanted space, she's not with any of you!" George yelled, running to duck behind the till desk.

Fred and Ron shared a wicked look as they both pulled out their wands and aimed them at George. He yelped and disappeared behind the desk. "Fred, what are you doing?! You're not supposed to gang up on me with Ron!"

Ron smirked and put his wand away. "He's right, Fred. Go get him yourself."

"With pleasure." Fred responded, heading for the desk.

Anyone who was passing by on the street looked at the shop curiously as it filled with sparks of light and girlish screams.

* * *

Draco looked at the flowers that were lain across Hermione's parents graves. They looked fresh, amongst all the others that were in various stages of decay, but she wasn't here.

Theo had done some digging for him to find out what she was doing at the Australian Ministry. Apparently their hospitals were ran as a part of the Ministry and she had taken a job in their potions lab. He had smiled when he found out, knowing that if he had never asked her to help with the Centaurs that potions probably wouldn't have been her first choice, or even her second or third.

So the Ministry would be his second stop, even though it was her first week at work. He stopped along the way there and bought a big bouquet of white roses. It wasn't uncommon for people to visit the hospital with flowers, so as he walked through the halls no one really paid him any mind. He stopped at the front desk to ask which way the potions lab was, and the receptionist seemed to forget how to talk momentarily but finally managed to get him pointed in the right direction.

As he walked up to front desk part of the lab, he made mental notes on how they had everything set up. It never hurt to take notes. He asked for Hermione at the front desk and the receptionist raised an eyebrow before excusing herself for a moment. He sighed, turning around and waiting, thinking that perhaps they were a bit stricter on protocol and that she was going to get her.

When the receptionist came back a few minutes later with an older guy, Draco raised an eyebrow. The man smiled and held his hand out to shake Draco's. "Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure! I just read about your dealings with Ireland in the Prophet. I have it delivered so I can keep up with what you're doing over there. Mr. Finneus Coperland, at your service."

Draco smiled and returned the handshake more firmly. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Coperland. My business partner and I actually came up with a theory on a potion to help reverse the effects of an memory charm, based on your early work in the Middle East."

Finneus' eyes brightened and he laughed. "We'll I'm glad that helped someone out. I feel that work never really went anywhere once I brought the research back."

"You'd think that more people would have paid mind to it, it seems memory charms are becoming more and more popular these days." Draco said, suddenly aware that there were many sets of eyes on them.

Finneus looked at the roses in his hand and smiled a knowing smile. "Don't tell me you're here to try and steal Miss Granger away? She's only been here a few days and already a great asset to my team."

Draco smirked, feeling a sense of pride, even though he knew she was great on her own and he had nothing to do with it. "I just wanted to speak with her. If that leads to her coming back to London, well I think maybe we should all work together in the future."

"I do believe she is out on lunch right now?" Finneus said, or more asked the receptionist who smiled and nodded.

She moved forward to take the bouquet from Draco, blushing slightly as he thanked her. "I'll make sure these get put in water and put on her desk. I'm not sure where she's gone for lunch but I know she's left the Ministry grounds."

Draco smiled. "It's ok, I'll bet I know where she is."

* * *

Hermione smiled as she sipped her tea at the café, it felt good to be back. Sitting at her old table, the one where she used to watch her parents from across the room, the one where she had eaten lunch with Draco.

She smiled at the waiter who had regularly served her before, when he gave her a smile as he was cleaning off a table a few over from hers. He had seemed particularly pleased that she was back. Everything felt normal, and normal felt so good. She laughed to herself as she thought about it, a laugh that soon died when she saw a familiar face walk through the front door of the café.

She felt her heart stop as Draco walked in, looking around until his eyes settled on her. She shook her head and looked down at her tea, thinking that she was clearly imagining things. What had they added to it since she'd been here last?

She was shaken out of her thoughts when he walked across the room and came to a stop at her table. When he didn't say anything she finally looked up at him, but found that she couldn't find any words to say.

"We're you ever going to tell me?" He asked finally, his voice soft.

She looked at him in confusion. "Tell you what?"

"Tell me what happened at the ball, the real reason you walked away from us." He said, pulling out the chair across from her and sitting down.

"Theo and I talked about it." She responded in a small voice.

"That's not the us I was talking about, and you know it."

She set her tea down, and pushed it away from her. "What are you doing here, Draco?"

"Telling you that I know everything, and that we cut ties with the Greengrass', and that Mother got my father to sign over the estate to me so now I control it all and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."

Hermione raised a hand to interrupt him. "It doesn't matter now that you have control over your estate? Draco, I'm happy for you, but it shouldn't have mattered in the first place."

"Hermione, you are the one who made it matter. If you had just told me from the beginning, we still would have cut ties with them."

"Would you have? Would you really have, Draco? Given up everything you and Theo worked so hard for, for a relationship you were struggling to even acknowledge?"

"That isn't fair, Hermione. You didn't even give me a chance."

"You didn't give me one either."

Draco looked down at the table. "I came down here as soon as I could, to tell you how I feel. To tell you that I'm sorry."

Hermione looked at him for a few moments before responding. "I'm sorry too, Draco. I wish things had worked out, I really do. But there's been too much damage, too much miscommunication. Given our history, this was just doomed before it even really began."

His head snapped up and he smirked. "Oh things will work out." When she looked at him confusingly he gave a short laugh. "Did you think I was just going to apologize and walk away?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Draco, I came back here for some clarity. For some peace and quiet. I need to be away from London, I don't know for how long. You can't just expect me to go back to the way things were before and just forgive all that's happened between us, and I certainly don't want to be in London right now."

"Good, because I don't want you to come back."

She narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "Then what do you want?"

"I want you to go on a proper date with me. Not to a dinner to talk about work, or to a Ministry function. I want to spend time with you, I want to show you that you can trust me. I want to prove myself to you, Hermione. I don't care how long it takes, or how long I have to commute back and forth from London to here. I'll give you all the space you need, and I will try to attract as little attention as possible, although with my dashing good looks I can't promise that last part." He smiled at her. It was a genuine smile, and not the traditional Malfoy smirk.

She rolled her eyes while smiling as well. "I have to get back to work."

He nodded. "I'm going to go back to London tonight, have dinner with me before I go?"

"I'll think about it, Draco. I'll send you an owl later, but I'm not promising anything." She got up from her seat, and placed some money on the table before moving to leave.

He stood as well, grabbing her wrist as she walked by. She stopped and looked down at where he had grabbed her, then back up at him. He drew her close, and reached up to brush away a stray curl that had escaped her mass of curls pinned at the back of her head.

"Until then." He said in soft voice, loud enough for only her to hear.

She blushed and nodded, her eyes darting down to his lips and back up to his eyes. He let go of her hand and she stepped backwards, almost running into a waitress behind her. She gave him a small wave as she disappeared out the door, and he grinned and turned to summon the waiter over to order a bite to eat.

As he turned he realized that there was a bag that was half poking out from under the table, he reached down to grab it and realized that it was full of cat food and treats for Crookshanks. He quickly turned and ran out the door to give it to her, eyes scanning the area. He saw her crossing the street in front of a large bus that was parked on the side of the road, people piling off of it.

"Hermione!" He called out to her, making his way through the crowd of people.

Hermione's ears perked when she heard her name. She turned her head around but could only see a crowd of people, so she continued walking. She didn't realize that the walk sign had turned to stop, and as she walked out in front of the other side of the bus she heard the sound of wheels screeching before feeling an enormous amount of pain.

The last thing she saw was a terrified pair of grey eyes before everything went black.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Dun dun dun! It's always something isn't it? You guys wanted the story to be longer, thus there has to be more drama! Please review! :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: HERMIONE DID NOT GET HIT BY THE BUS!** Apparently I wrote that part confusingly because I said she walked out in front of the other side of it. It was parked on the side of the street letting people off of it, and it's a bus so she obviously couldn't see around it. So for those of you who were jerks in your reviews about it I hope that clears up your outrage.

Due to the amount of negative reviews and messages I got over the last chapter, I haven't been inspired at all to continue writing this story. I was really proud of where I had the story headed and after the negative amount of feedback, on top of the small amount of hits the chapter got, I have no intention of pushing myself to continue updating once a week. The chapters will come when I find some inspiration.

Thanks to ashtoncrowden, AnonymousJR, codevivi, LoveForBooks 'p, Mdelcasale625, kaylafillpot, Quileutepack Seth16, terminalxwanderlust, Sakuritta Uchiha, avaughan3, tigerfan21, dubbedvwgirl, thatsoravenclaw, Lena88, and Purpleisthebestcolor for adding the story to your favorites.

Thank you to ashtoncrowden, AnonymousJR, claryrosefrayway, codevivi, Mrs Ivashkov-Odinson-Northman, block987, LoveForBooks 'p, talkingshrimps, marcelabm, Mdelcasale625, Quileutepack Seth16, RaiN-EkaeiRi, AnonymousWriter10113, terminalxwanderlust, adrianiforever, Gnoloo, Hayleygibson, SKiraNova, teamprewett, Cstephens91, Sweet Autumn Dreamer, cas-xo, stewartmccarty, foreverpanda, dubbedvwgirl, agressett69, thatsoravenclaw, Ray49, EirLoki, peachx89, Jesse alder eye, Wings236, and Trisoul for adding the story to your alerts list.

Thank you to Imnounicorn, LaBelle96, marcelabm, kaylafillpot, Quileutepack Seth16, and stephrob92 for adding me to your authors favorites and alerts lists.

Last but not least thank you to all who reviewed! Whether they were nice or not. Anon, svets light spot, ksouza3, Quileutepack Seth 16, fefetwimom, Electrocorrosive, Raven that flies at night, Elxie, Helena W. G., Chester99, Time to go, Jesse, Little Miss Perfect7, naz, JuliSt, all guests, MirrorOfErisedSpellsDesire, ItzelNox, KaTee19, and dragonjun.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

Draco rubbed his face, the soft beeping of the machine Hermione was hooked up to was starting to grate on his nerves. He had panicked when he couldn't use this wand to save her, there had been too Muggles that had gathered when she had been hit, so she had been taken to a Muggle hospital.

Playing with his wand idly, his hands were itching to fix all of the bruising on her face. But he knew that if he used a charm and made them go away then there would be no way of explaining it. She had gone into surgery as soon as they arrived, something about internal bleeding, and a few broken bones. The bones he knew could be grown back quickly, but he wasn't sure about the internal bleeding.

He wanted to move her to the hospital where she worked but they wouldn't move her on his request, so he was stuck waiting for Harry to arrive, because apparently Harry was named as her power of attorney and was the only one who could make that call.

He'd sent out a few owls while she was in surgery, one to Harry and Ginny, one to his Mother and one to Theo. He knew that Harry and Ginny had dropped everything and were headed that way, probably with the whole Weasley clan in tow. He grimaced at that thought.

He lifted his head as a nurse walked in, she hadn't been assigned to Hermione, but she had been checking in on her the whole time. He had learned that she had been the nurse that had taken care of her when she'd been in the accident when her parents died. For being muggle-born she sure had bad luck with muggle vehicles.

"Nothing's changed?" The nurse asked, moving to stand on the other side of Hermione's bed, checking the machine.

Draco shook his head and sighed, running a hand through his hair. The nurse gave him a sad smile and nodded her head. "I'll check on her again in a little while, you should go home and get some rest, it's nearly midnight."

"I'm not going anywhere." Draco said.

She pursed her lips and nodded again. Most of the nurses were avoiding the room because of this man who wouldn't leave Hermione's side. He hadn't liked it when they had told him he couldn't authorize for her to be moved, and she knew he awaiting the arrival of someone who _did_ have that the authority to make that call. He _really_ hadn't liked it when he had been told that he couldn't stay past visiting hours if he wasn't family.

The amount of legality phrases that he had thrown around had been enough to scare everyone away. But she knew that the girls parents had died months prior, and she suspected this young man was all the girl had now.

"Well I'll make sure to bring you by something from the cafeteria, we keep ours open all day long so I'll get you a hot fresh meal." She said, making her way of the room again.

Draco gave her a look of thanks, before allowing his body to relax back into the chair again. Where the bloody hell were Potter and Weasley?

* * *

Draco awoke to voices outside the door. He looked at the clock on the wall as he stretched his aching muscles, reading that it said eight in the morning. Frowning, he realized he must have fallen asleep sometime after he'd eaten the food that nurse had brought him.

He perked up when he heard the sound of Ginny's voice coming closer to the door, meaning that her and Harry must have finally arrived. He stood as the door opened and they walked in, with the Doctor that had performed the surgery.

Ginny rushed forward and gave him a hug, which he awkwardly returned while meeting the worried eyes of Harry over her head. Harry went to the other side of the bed and brushed away a curl that had strayed too close to her bruised face. Ginny moved past Draco and went to the other side, grabbing Hermione's hand.

"We came as soon as we could." She said, after thanking the Doctor as he left.

Draco nodded even though neither of them were looking at him. "Should we be expecting anyone else?"

"If you're implying my family then yes, they are all on their way. I believe Theo had to wrap some things up with the company but he's coming as soon as he can."

"Well we should probably move her now then, before everyone shows up." Draco said, moving to go find the nurse that had been checking up on them.

"I'm not moving her." Harry finally spoke, moving his body so that he could look at Draco.

Draco narrowed his eyes as he spun around to face Harry. "What the bloody hell do you mean you're not moving her?! She needs medical attention from a Wizarding hospital, Potter! They can grow her bones back in hours and fix whatever else is wrong with her, she should have woken up by now!"

Harry's eyes looked hard and cold as he spoke his next words to Draco. "What happened to her, Malfoy?"

Draco looked from Harry to Ginny and back to Harry with an incredulous look on his face. "I told you what happened in the owl I sent."

Harry didn't say anything but kept looking at him, and Ginny had a confused look on her face, as though she didn't understand why Harry was asking the way he was. Draco held Harry's stare but was growing red in the face from anger.

"I told you exactly what happened, I didn't do this to her. Yes, it was me that distracted her from looking around the bus before she walked, but I didn't push her or ask for this to happen. You know I would never harm her, I didn't do this!" His voice was growing frantic and hoarse, and the hard look that Harry had been giving him softened.

"I'm sorry, Malfoy. She's just been through so much, and most of it's revolved around you. Old habits I guess." Harry shrugged.

"You guys stop fighting, this isn't what she would want." Ginny said, softly.

The boys nodded in agreement, but Draco wasn't going to give up that easily. "You have to move her."

"She wouldn't want to be moved."

"She would want to be alive and well." Draco argued.

Harry shared a look with Ginny that made Draco's eyes narrow again. He cocked his head and rolled his eyes. "What are you two hiding?"

Ginny eased herself onto the bed so that she was sitting next to Hermione. "Sit down, Draco."

When he didn't move she gave him a look that promised trouble if he didn't listen to her. So as he took a seat in his chair, she continued speaking. "The boys and Hermione made…wills, before they went hunting for Horcruxes last year. I was the only person who knew about it, and the second power of attorney for all of them. In the case that something happened where Hermione was injured and fell into a coma-like state, she didn't want to be pumped full of potions to guarantee that she would wake up. Once the war was over, the boys changed little things in their wills, and that was something she had planned on changing as well. But she saw that nothing worked for Fred when he was in his coma, so she didn't want to put her body through it."

"Why does everything have to be ruined by your idiot brother?" Draco growled, rubbing at his temples.

The door opened and George poked his head in. "Which idiot brother would you be referring to?"

Draco looked up, surprised and annoyed, and then looked at Ginny. "I thought that you said they were on their way?"

"They were when we left, we've been here a while, Malfoy. You were just sleeping when we arrived and we didn't want to wake you." Harry explained.

"Yea wouldn't want to disturb your beauty sleep." Fred said sarcastically, coming in behind George. Ron followed him, and behind Ron came Molly and Arthur.

Draco's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to speak but Ron beat him to it. "Shut your mouth, Fred. This isn't the time for jokes."

Draco's mouth twitched into the smallest of smirks as Fred looked ashamed and watched Ron walk over to stand beside Harry. His face was ashen and he looked like he hadn't slept, and Draco realized that he and Harry just looked downright devastated.

Ginny must have sensed the awkwardness of the whole situation. She placed a hand on Draco's arm and gave him a small smile. "I'll bet you could use a shower, and some food."

"I'm not hungry, but I wouldn't mind a shower." He responded, looking back to the bed where Ron had moved to take Ginny's spot. He felt a twitch of jealousy as he watched Ron pick up Hermione's hand, but he did his best to ignore it.

The door opened again and the nurse came in, followed by another nurse. "Oh my, well we certainly have a crowd now don't we? We're going to need a bigger room!"

She made her way around the twins and Arthur and Molly, coming to stand next to Draco. "As soon as a bigger room opens up I'll make sure to put her name on it."

Draco nodded and smiled in gratitude. "Thank you for everything you've done. Ginny, this is the nurse that took care of her while she was in the hospital before, when the accident happened with her parents. I'm sorry, but I haven't caught your name."

The nurse smiled and shook Ginny's hand. "Bernadette Nettles, pleasure to meet you, dear. Now, I'm going to go wait for a bigger room, and there isn't room in here for everyone so why don't you designate one or two people to stay and the rest can move to the waiting area."

Draco and Ginny nodded, and Ginny started ushering out everyone except for Harry and Ron. Draco turned to look back at Hermione one last time before disappearing out the door.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Draco was walking back into the hospital. He had gone back to the Wizarding hospital to inform Hermione's boss of what had happened, and had gotten her address so that he could stop and take care of Crookshanks and shower.

He stopped when he heard his voice being called out behind him. Turning, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Theo walking towards him, carrying a tray of what he assumed were tea's and coffee's. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that Daphne was behind him, also carrying a tray of drinks and holding a large bag of what looked like food. When they reached him, they both gave him a one armed hug.

"How are you?" Theo asked.

"I'm fine, I just wish she would wake up. I'm assuming you've been by once already? Daphne, I have to admit I'm surprised to see you here." Draco said, gesturing to the trays and bags they were holding. They started walking into the hospital and got in line for the elevator.

"She was with me when I got your owl, and yea we've been here already. We offered to go grab some tea and lunch for everyone." Theo said.

"Have they moved her to a bigger room yet?" Draco asked.

Daphne nodded. "Yea they moved her not long after we arrived. Bernadette said it was the biggest room they had, and it's still kind of crowded with everyone in there."

Draco looked around as they got on the elevator and realized it was only the three of them. As the doors closed he sighed. "Harry won't move her to the Wizarding hospital, something about a will and not wanting to be revived with potions or some bullocks."

"Yea, Ginny told us. I'm sorry Draco, hopefully she'll wake up soon." Daphne said.

There were a few moments of silence as the elevator came to a stop on their floor. Draco looked over to Theo and Daphne with a smirk on his face. "So you were together when you got my owl were you? What were you two doing together so late at night?"

Both Theo and Daphne blushed as the elevator doors dinged and opened. Draco laughed as he stepped out, leaving the two red faced and speechless.

"Oh you two have some explaining to do." He smirked.

He laughed again as he rounded the corner, but his laugh quickly dissipated when he saw the twins walking down the hall towards them. He glared at Fred as he came closer and Fred narrowed his eyes.

"You know that this would have never happened to her if it hadn't been for you!" Fred spat at him, pulling his arm out of George's grasp who had been trying to hold him back from saying anything.

" _Me_?! If _you_ hadn't gone and told her how you felt about her, even though we were together, then none of this would have happened!" Draco yelled back at him.

"I had been trying to tell her since she got back! You two weren't even actually together, and if I remember correctly you had been dancing all night with her bratty little sister!" Fred pointed at Daphne, causing her to shrink back into Theo, before narrowing her eyes.

"Both of you knock it off! It's no one's fault that this happened, it happened and we all have to deal with it! And if you don't mind, Weasley, I don't wish to be associated with my _bratty little sister_." Daphne bit out at them before storming off down the hall.

Draco and Fred just continued to glare at each other before Theo and George finally moved them off in opposite directions.

"It's not worth it, mate. You know that the last thing Hermione would want right now is for everyone to be fighting." Theo said.

Draco rolled his eyes but he knew that he was right. They followed Daphne down the hallway to the room where they had moved Hermione, he was grateful to see that only Harry and Ginny were in there with her.

"Ron needed some time alone. He's not taking it very well." Ginny was explaining to Daphne.

Draco resisted the urge to make a biting remark, and walked over to the vacant side of Hermione's bed. The bruising on her face was starting to deepen in color, and Ginny had braided her hair to stay out of her face, making the offending marks stand out even more.

"We'll give you some time with her." Ginny said.

Draco sat in the chair next to the bed and didn't even register that they had left. He took Hermione's hand in his own and rubbed this thumb across it, whispering for her to wake up. He gave a short laugh.

"You know that twin you're so fond of actually had the nerve to blame all of this on me?" He paused, listening to her breathing. "Maybe it is all my fault, I do seem to bring nothing but pain to your life, ever since school. But you know I never meant for this to happen, I would never wish you harm."

He reached out and stroked her cheek. He didn't know what it was that was causing him to pour out his feelings. Maybe it was the fact that they were alone, or that it was easier that she wasn't awake. "I was a fool to let you go, Granger. I won't make the same mistake again, I promise you that. I'll spend every day proving that I'm worthy of your affection."

He looked down at their entwined hands and after a few moments he smiled in realization. "You know, back in school I hated you for always being better than me at everything. But if I really think about it, I hated you more for being best friends with Potter and Weasley. Even back then you intrigued me, I didn't really understand it until just this moment. I guess I always had some sort of attraction to you, even then. Now, all I know is I don't want to live my life without you in it. Everything we faced in the war, everything we've been through, this can't be it. You have to wake up, there's so much more we have to do."

His eyes started stinging, and he realized that it was from tears. He'd hadn't cried since that night in the bathrooms during his sixth year at school, and that seemed so long ago. He leaned forward, wiping the tears away and cradling her hand to his chest, his other hand reaching up around the top of her head.

"Wake up, Granger. I have to tell you, I think…I know, I know that I…I love you, Hermione. So you have to wake up, because I need to tell you."

A few tears fell from his eyes and landed on her cheek. He gently wiped them away as he heard the door open. He turned to see Bernadette walking into the room. She smiled at him as she walked closer. He hurriedly brushed the remaining tears away from his eyes and straightened up.

"It's ok, Mr. Malfoy. You don't have to put on a front for me. I can tell you care for her, as do her friends. I'm glad to see that she has such a big support system. A second tragic accident in such a short amount of time is a lot to handle."

She came up to the bed and checked the machine. Draco relaxed and leaned his elbows back onto the bed bringing Hermione's hand back into his chest. They spent a few moments in silence while Bernadette checked all of Hermione's charts.

Draco rested his chin on their hands, eyes never leaving Hermione's face. A few moments later he jolted back.

"What is it, dear?" Bernadette asked.

Draco looked at her with a hopeful smile. "Her hand, it twitched."

Bernadette looked at Hermione and back at the machine but she didn't see anything different. She looked at Draco with a sad smile and was about to tell him that she hadn't moved, but then Hermione's hand twitched again, and this time she had seen it.

Hermione's head moved slightly and she gave a small sigh that sounded like it hurt. Her eyes fluttered a few times and found Bernadette's, giving her a small but confused smile. She then looked over to see who was holding her hand. Her expression changed immediately to one of confusion, mixed with anger and a little fear.

She pulled her hand from Draco's, and tried to move further away from him. "Malfoy?! What are you doing here?! What happened? Where am I?" Her voice was hoarse and dry, and only half of her words were audible.

Draco was too ecstatic that she had finally woken up and he stood from his chair to try and hug her. But she frantically pushed him away, crying out in pain as she moved.

"Hermione, it's ok! It's ok, love. I'm here, and you're alright!" He tried explaining.

She looked at him like he had grown another head, and started struggling again to get away from him.

Bernadette gently pushed her back down to the bed. "Take it easy, love. You've just been in a really bad accident."

Hermione stopped struggling and looked confused. "Your accent…are we in Australia?"

Bernadette looked at Draco and shook her head. "Don't worry, it's completely normal to have a little bit of confusion after something like this." Then she turned back to Hermione. "Yes, dear, you were hit by a car in Sydney yesterday. Now I need you to sit still and let me check you over."

Hermione struggled again but winced in pain and finally collapsed back into the pillows. She glared at Draco and crossed her arms. "Where are Harry and Ron?! Why are _you_ here?"

Draco was still standing, too shocked to move. "I came to apologize, remember? I told you that I was sorry for everything and that I wanted to prove myself to you, and that I didn't care how long it took but I wanted to start over."

Hermione shook her head, clearly distressed. "What are you going on about?! What are we _doing_ here? What are _you_ doing here, Malfoy? What happened to Harry and Ron? Please tell me nothing bad happened to them after he defeated Voldemort?"

Draco shook his head and looked at Bernadette who was looking at Hermione with an odd expression on her face. "I don't know what she's going on about, can you go fetch a doctor please?"

Bernadette nodded and left the room and Draco knew he only had a few seconds before she told everyone else that Hermione had woken up. "We're in a muggle hospital because Potter wouldn't move you to the hospital that you work in. So don't bring up anything about our world. Potter and Weasley are fine, don't you remember?"

She stared at him with blank eyes for a few seconds before the door crashed open and everyone came pouring in. Draco stepped back as Harry and Ron rushed to the sides of her bed and started asking her how she was feeling. She gave a short laugh and looked around Ron to Draco.

"Why are we all in Australia and why did I wake up to the ferret holding my hand?!" She demanded.

Everyone grew quiet and looked at each other solemnly. Ginny went to stand next to Draco and nudged him back closer to her bedside. "Hermione, don't you remember Draco coming to see you again?"

"Again? What in Merlin's name are you talking about, Gin? Since when were we ever on a first name basis with him? And the only reason I'd be in Australia is to find my parents, are they here? Harry, are they ok? Did you restore their memories?"

Harry looked at her sadly. "What's the last thing you remember, 'Mione?"

She looked confused and slowly looked at everyone's faces, minus Draco's. Theo and Daphne had sunk back behind everyone and had wedged their way around to get as close to Draco as possible.

"I remember that Harry defeated Voldemort, and then everything is fuzzy after that." Then she looked at Draco. "I remember you saving me during the battle, but I don't remember being on good enough terms where you would be holding my hand." Then her eyes settled on Harry. "Did you find my parents?"

"'Mione, I'm so sorry." Harry said, voice cracking.

Draco could see her visibly start to shake and he wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold her. He had seen first hand what losing her parents had done to her, now she was going to have to re-live that pain all over again. Only this time, she had her friends here and she wasn't going to need him. He admitted to himself that her not remembering everything they'd gone through hurt. He felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest.

"Harry, what's wrong? What happened?" She asked, voice wavering.

Ginny stepped forward and took her hand, rubbing soft circles over it. "'Mione, a lot has happened since the end of the war, it's been months. You came to find them afterwards, and there…there was a bad accident. Your parents, I'm so sorry, but your parents are dead."

* * *

 **Author's note:** Shorter than normal but please review.


	17. Chapter 17

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 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

"Do you know how easy it would be?"

Draco rolled his eyes and clenched his fists in his hair to keep himself from reaching out and hitting the older Weasley twin.

"She doesn't remember you, she doesn't remember anything that ever happened, it would be so easy to just lie and say that you were making it all up." Fred continued to speak.

"How very _Slytherin_ of you, Weasley." Theo drawled, sitting on Draco's right.

They were in the waiting area, Fred, Draco, Daphne and Theo. George had gone back to London and Molly and Arthur were in Hermione's room with Harry, Ginny and Ron. Hermione had promptly broken down after the news of the death of her parents. Harry had ushered them out of the room, even though Draco had argued that it had been himself that had been with her those next few days, and not the Weasley's. But Harry had argued that since she didn't remember that, it would be upsetting to have three Slytherin's in the room while she was so emotionally vulnerable.

Draco had scoffed at that, but had obliged Harry, not wanting to cause any trouble. So now he was stuck out here, with this annoying prat who wouldn't stop making comments about how Hermione would just be better off without him.

"And what exactly would you tell her when she regains her memories, Weasley? She would know that you lied, do you really think she would forgive you after that?" Daphne asked, sitting on Draco's left.

"She'd come around, knowing that it was for the best and that she would be better off without this ferret in her life." Fred spat back, not taking his eyes off of Draco.

"Is that what you call love?" Draco finally spoke, his voice soft. All eyes turned to him and he finally lifted his face to look at Fred.

"All throughout our years at school Gryffindors are known for their loyalty, their bravery, and you all spout about love like it's the easiest thing in the world to figure out. Yet here you sit, talking about lying to someone who is like part of your family, someone you claim to care about. Is that what you call love? We…Hermione and I were going to work out whatever issues there were between us, so if you think I'm going to just sit by and let you lie your way back into her heart, you're very very wrong." His voice turned cold and he narrowed his eyes at the redhead sitting across from them.

But Fred just smirked back at Draco, looking like the cat who caught the canary. "I don't have to lie my way back into her heart, Malfoy. She thinks it's right after the war, so according to what she's feeling right now, I'm still very much a part of her heart."

Draco's face turned angry and he moved like he was going to lunge at Fred and finally hit him like he'd been wanting to all day. But Harry chose that moment to walk around the corner, and Draco straightened up to see what he had to say.

"How is she?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded slightly. "I think she's going to be ok."

Ginny and Ron appeared around the corner, followed by their parents. Ginny looked like she had been crying, she looked up at Draco as Harry wrapped his arm around her.

She smiled and nodded towards the room. "She's asking for you, Draco."

* * *

Hermione looked up as Draco walked into the room, a slight blush forming over her cheeks. He closed the door behind him slowly, hesitant and not completely sure how to act.

"Harry and Ginny have told me quite the story concerning you and I." She said, looking down to where she was wringing her hands in her blanket.

"I suppose it is quite the story." Draco said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, still standing by the door.

Hermione finally looked up at him, that look when she was determined to figure out a problem settled on her face. "Come here, sit down."

He had to stop himself from smirking at her bossiness, and just did as she told him. She went back to looking down at her blanket, and he wanted so badly to reach out and grab her hands. He settled for setting his hands on the edge of her bed and leaned in on his elbows, noticing that she leaned slightly farther away from him as he did it.

"I don't understand anything they told me. It's all bits and pieces and no one has the same story, they said that no one was with me the first time I was here, but that you spent the most time with me."

"So you want me to fill in the holes?" Draco asked, still leaning in towards her.

She looked at him, and his breath caught in his throat as she locked eyes with him and didn't look away. She seemed to be searching his eyes for an answer, and he thought that she had never looked more beautiful than in that moment.

She nodded slightly, shifting her body back to the center of the bed. "What happened?"

Her voice was laced with sorrow and he could tell that she was trying to be strong in front of him. He subconsciously inched his hand closer to hers. "You were at lunch in a little muggle café that you liked to frequent. Your parents went there every week, and you would go and watch them. Studying them, seeing when it would be a good time to make yourself known to them again. You got an owl that Fred had woken up from his coma, and for some reason decided that that would be the perfect day to restore their memories. But by the time you had finished the letter they had left, so you followed them and it resulted in a horrible car accident that you were a part of."

His voice had turned slightly angry, annoyed that she had been involved in the accident because of Fred. But even deep down he knew it was really no one's fault. So he kept going, focusing on the spot where her hands were clutching her blanket.

"They are buried in a little cemetery not far from where your first flat was, they were laid to rest under their hidden names, but I enchanted it to show their real names and that they had a daughter."

"You did that for me?" Hermione interrupted him. She was looking at him like he had grown another head.

He nodded, and felt his heart skip a beat when she smiled a genuine smile at him.

"Thank you, Draco."

He nodded again in response, not knowing what else to say. But it seemed that she was interested in knowing more, because she motioned for him to go on.

"The day of your parents funeral was when I found you. I needed your help with convincing the Centaurs to let me build on their land in the Forbidden Forest, and who better to do that than you? But when you answered your door, you weren't in any state to talk business. You were covered in bruises, and completely pissed out of your mind. You fainted when you saw me, so being the gentleman that I am, I carried you to your room and waited for you to get back up. Crookshanks took a liking to me, so I stayed-"

"Crookshanks! Oh no! Someone has to go and check on him!"

"I've already taken care of it, Granger. I also contacted your work and let them know what happened. Mr. Coperland said to take as much time as you need."

"Coperland? As in Finneus Coperland? Head of the potions lab at the Australian Ministry?"

"Yes, the one and the same. He's eager to work with you, but understands if you want to go back to London, seeing as it's really all you know right now." Draco explained.

Hermione seemed to think it over in her head for a moment with a far off look in her eyes before turning to look at him again. "So did you ask me to help you and I told you to piss off when I finally woke up?"

"Not exactly." Draco laughed. "You were a right mess, Granger. So I gave you some time, but eventually started showing up, I never you told you this before but I checked in on you from time to time I just never made it known. One day though we went to a bar, and after that night you said you would help. So you came back to London and helped."

Hermione was looking at him with suspicion in her eyes. "What made me decide to help you all of a sudden?"

Draco looked down at the bed, and it was his turn to start playing with the edge of the blanket. He opened his mouth to say something but shut it again, not knowing how to say it.

"Did we…?" Hermione asked, in a slow and cautious manner.

Draco nodded and closed his eyes as she sucked in a sharp breath. He prepared for her to start yelling at him but when nothing came he opened one eye to see her staring at him, a blush formed over her entire face.

"So what happened in London then? Harry and Ginny made it seem like you and I were…involved. But they also said that we aren't involved now, so what are we?" Hermione asked, looking back down at her blanket, wanting to change the subject.

Draco ran a hand through his hair and leaned back away from the bed and into his chair. "Honestly, Granger, I haven't a clue. I came back here to apologize for everything that's happened between us, I came back here to try and explain why I acted the way that I did, even though there was no excuse for it. There are a lot of things that happened, things I can't take back, and things that were going to take a lot of work on both our parts to get through, but now…"

He trailed off and looked towards the door, imagining the things Fred had said to him in the waiting room coming to life.

"Now I've completely forgotten everything, and you are the only one who can fill in the gaps, and with no one else knowing what happened when it was just you and I you could say anything you wanted." Hermione said, matter of factly.

Draco's eyes narrowed as he whipped his head back to look at her. "I'm not lying to you, Granger."

"Maybe you are and maybe you aren't. I would have no clue, and neither would anyone else as far as anything that happened down here is concerned." Hermione argued.

Draco stood abruptly from his chair and marched to the front of her bed, gripping the rails at the end of it. "Why don't I go get a pensieve and show you the memories? Then you will know the truth."

"Memories can be distorted into what the person wants to think or believe, Malfoy." Hermione glared back at him.

Draco felt like she had slapped him in the face but he knew that she couldn't help it. He took a deep breath and walked back to the side of her bed, leaning over and brushing her hair away from her face. She leaned away from him, but only slightly, allowing him to keep his hand next to her face.

"I'm not lying to you, Hermione. Anyone else can tell you that we were together in London, that many unfortunate things happened leading to our separation." He whispered.

She looked at him with wide eyes at being so close, at him touching her. Their faces were mere inches apart and she tilted her face slightly into his hand subconsciously. Draco took a breath and slowly leaned down, but the moment was ruined by the door opening and Fred standing there, Theo and Daphne behind him yelling at him to not go in the room.

Hermione pulled back from Draco abruptly as her eyes landed on Fred. She looked behind him at Theo and Daphne in confusion, then back to Draco questioningly.

He sighed and stood, walking towards the door. "Believe it or not you befriended quite a few Slytherins along the way, including my Mother."

He didn't wait to see her reaction, he just glared at Fred as he walked past him. "Let's go. We have work to do." He said to Theo and Daphne.

Hermione watched him walk away with wide eyes, before refocusing back on Fred. The redhead smiled at her as he shut the door, something that should have made her heart race but didn't.

Her heart was already racing because of a certain Slytherin.

* * *

"I know it's difficult to understand-"

"It's not just difficult, Harry, I feel like I've stepped into an alternate universe and taken the place of some other Hermione. It's Draco Malfoy for Merlin's sake! How on earth did you let that happen?!" Hermione yelled, throwing her hands up and watching Harry with wide eyes.

He was sitting at the end of her bed, while Ginny and Ron were on either side of her. Ron leaned forward and grabbed her hand in his, a gesture that Hermione found comforting.

"We didn't exactly let it happen, 'Mione. It happened while you two were alone down here, and by the time you came home, it was something that just… _was_. We stayed away and gave you space because that's what you asked us to do, looking back now we understand that we probably shouldn't have, even though you said it was what you wanted." Ron explained.

He ran his free hand through his hair and let out a long breath. "And as much as it absolutely pains me to say this, you loved him. Don't ask us why, but you did."

Hermione looked at him with a soft expression on her face and lifted a hand to ruffle his hair. "When did you grow up, Ronald?"

They all laughed and she leaned back against her pillows again. "Oh you guys, this is all so odd! What am I supposed to do?"

"Well for starters, we should get you moved back to London." Ginny said.

Harry nodded his head, coming to stand next to Ginny. "Yea, I know Draco has informed your boss of what was going on. So I think it was kind of expected for you to leave again, even though you had barely started. The flat that you own in London hasn't even been rented out yet, you can just move back in there…unless you would rather stay with us at Grimmauld Place? We would completely understand if you didn't want to be at the flat alone."

"Stay at Grimmauld Place with Kreacher complaining about me being there all the time, or move into a flat with a library, hmm…what ever shall I choose?" Hermione said sarcastically, holding her pointer finger to her chin.

"The library." Harry, Ginny, and Ron all said in unison.

They all laughed again as the door opened and Fred poked his head in. Ginny looked from her older brother to her friend with a slight frown on her face. She watched as Hermione's laughter died down and her large smile turned into a tight lipped one. She reached across the bed for Hermione's hand, earning a small grateful smile from the brunette.

"It's ok. I suppose we need to talk anyways." Hermione said quietly.

Ginny nodded and stood from her chair. "I'm starving guys, let's go check out the cafeteria, let these two talk."

She followed Harry towards the door, pausing to wait for Ron who was hesitant to get up. He finally stood, frowning at Fred as he walked past him. "Don't upset or confuse her."

Fred held up his hands in mock defense at his younger brother's demands. When the door had closed behind them he took Ron's seat next to the bed.

"So, finally have all the story straight do ya?" Fred asked.

"According to everyone else, there's a lot I just don't understand, and things that I still need explained but other than that I suppose yes." She responded, looking down at the blanket.

Fred laughed. "Can't believe you went mental and dated Malfoy can you?"

She shook her head in response with a smile on her face. "Dated…dating…I would have to look into a pensieve to believe anything anyone told me, and right now I think I would only trust the memories of Harry and Ginny."

"Hey!"

Hermione gave him a knowing look, to which he nodded that she was right. "I would be lying if I said I didn't think about what could possibly be between us now." He said in a low voice.

Hermione shifted her weight in the bed and frowned. "Aren't you dating Katie?"

Fred didn't respond right away, he looked like he was thinking about something before answering her. "We are, but it's new, and she knows how I feel about you."

"Katie never struck me as the type of girl to wait around on a guy who was pining after another girl." Hermione said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well I guess I'm just that good looking aren't I?" Fred said with a laugh.

Hermione laughed and rolled her eyes. "Always the worst timing."

Fred nodded and gave her a tight smile, even though he hadn't been joking.

* * *

"Tell me again why we have to wait here? Whenever Narcissa replies to Draco's owl it will just go find him at Hermione's flat." Daphne said, walking across the open room of the owlery post.

"Because he wasn't going to be at the flat for very long, he planned on going to speak with Coperland, and he didn't want the owl getting lost in the ministry." Theo explained, stroking a large tawny owl on the head.

Daphne sighed and looked out the side of the room that overlooked the water, wistfully. Theo frowned and came over to stand next to her. "If you want to go back to London, I understand, Daph."

"No! No, it's not that at all. I feel terrible for Hermione, and even worse for Draco, I want to be here for them. I just know that the longer I'm here, the worse things are going to be when I get home. I presented the papers to break off the marriage contract to Adrian and my parents, and then we just up and left. Considering your name is on the papers as the other _interested party_ , it doesn't look good that we just left, Theo."

Theo frowned at her, and reached out to pull her into a hug. "I'm sorry that your parents refuse to change, Daph. But you have me, and Draco and Hermione, you're not alone. Whatever your parents and Adrian throw at you, we will be there to help you out."

Daphne looked up at him with a faint blush on her cheeks. "Thank you, Theo."

"Of course, and when you're ready we can make an announcement that it just didn't work and we'll split, then you'll be free to find your Prince Charming."

Daphne frowned and pulled out of his arms. She gave an un-lady like snort and shoved him away from her. "You are impossible, Theodore."

"What?! That's what you wanted isn't it? Not to be trapped in a marriage with someone you don't have feelings for!" He said, throwing his hands up.

She was silent for a few moments before turning away from him. "Yea, that's what I wanted."

Theo stormed across the room and spun her around to look at him. "Tell me what you want, Daphne!"

The words had barely left his mouth before she stood on her tip toes and planted a kiss on his lips. She stepped away from him just as quickly, not knowing how he was going to react, but he grabbed her and pulled her back to him, kissing her hard.

They separated after a few moments, breathing heavily. Daphne looked down at the ground. "I know you don't want a relationship, Theo."

"If there was ever a girl who could change my mind, it would be you." Theo said, lifting her chin so that she was looking back up at him. He lowered his face to hers once more in a softer kiss, at the same moment an owl flew in and dropped a package at his feet.

They laughed at the timing of the bird, as Theo bent down to pick up the package with Draco's name written on it in Narcissa's elegant script.

"This is it, let's go find Draco. Then we will go back to London together and face your parents." Theo said, wrapping his arms around her again.

"Let's do it." Daphne agreed.

* * *

They walked back into the hospital, not expecting to step out of the elevator into an all out screaming match. They rounded the corner to see Draco standing on one side of the hall with Harry, Ron, and Ginny, and Fred standing on the other with his parents looking on with worried expressions.

"I told you not to confuse her!" Ron yelled at Fred.

"I can't believe you are all going to sit by and tell her that she was happy with the ferret!" Fred yelled back.

"What's happened to you, Fred?! This is so unlike you!" Ginny yelled.

"Nothing has happened to me, excuse me if I don't want to sit by and let her make the same mistakes again."

"The only mistake she ever made was having feelings for you." Draco drawled.

"Shut up, Malfoy, you aren't helping matters here." Ron turned around and glared at him.

"Will you all please stop yelling! Take it outside if you want to fight!" Bernadette yelled from behind the desk.

Theo and Daphne walked up slowly to Draco, Theo handing him the package that he was holding. "What's going on here?"

"Oh just another Weasley outburst, one that hardly matters." Draco said, opening up the box to reveal a large envelope. He opened the envelope and checked the contents inside, before closing it again with a smirk on his face.

"Wipe the smirk off your face before I do it for you." Fred glared.

The door to Hermione's room opened up and she poked her head out looking angry. "What on earth is going on out here?!"

Everyone was silent, with Fred and Draco glaring at each other and everyone else looking around sheepishly. Theo cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows. "Apparently there seems to be a tussle going on over you, Granger."

She looked at him oddly, before glaring at Draco and Fred. "Both of you stop making Bernadette's job harder. If someone has to go, then go, but stop fighting in the middle of the hospital!"

"Who do you want to go, 'Mione?" Ron asked. Everyone looked at him in surprise, apparently he was full of grown up mentality all of a sudden.

She looked at Ron pointedly for a moment before turning her eyes on Draco. "Malfoy, if you wouldn't mind."

Draco wasted no time in rolling his eyes in anger, he marched towards her and pushed her back into her room, following her and locking the door. He ignored all the angry shouting come from the other side, and he turned to her.

"What are you-"

He cut her off by whisking her off her feet and carrying her back to her bed. He tossed her onto it and tossed the envelope into her lap.

"What is this?" She asked him.

"That's everything on us in the public eye from the time you left London the first time. Every newspaper clipping, every picture, every mention of either of us. I'm not going anywhere, Granger. I didn't fight hard enough the first time, but I'm not going to give up this time. I don't care how long it takes, I don't care what I have to do, I'm not going to stop fighting for you. I know I have to prove all over again that I'm a changed man, and I will, whether you give me that chance or not."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something but he turned away and stormed out of the room before she could even finish processing what he had said. She looked down to her lap as Harry and Ginny rushed in, and opened the envelope, pulling out everything from inside. She sucked in a sharp breath as she saw the pile of clippings and photos.

The very first one was a photo of herself dressed in a beautiful glittery gown, and standing next to her with his arm around her waist was none other than Draco Malfoy himself. They weren't looking at the camera, but at each other, large smiles on their faces. She watched as he leaned in and kissed her cheek, before the picture reset and played again.

She looked up at Harry and Ginny with wide eyes. Harry rubbed the back of his neck while Ginny just gave her a small shrug.

"Told you."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thank you to those of you who are sticking by me. I know it sucks to go from one update a week to one every month. But I'm still here, and still writing, this was just the last chapter I had outlined. So it's getting harder from here till the ending. I hope you guys enjoyed. Please review…at this point they are the only things keeping me going.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note:** Thank you to those of you who continue to review and check back on the story. I know it's been a long time and I apologize. I hope that it doesn't continue to take this long to update. This is going to be an extremely short chapter but the rest of the story is outlined and ready to be written now. There will probably be about twenty one or twenty two chapters in all so bear with me!

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Again thank you so much for the continued support. I promise that I will not abandon this story, even if it takes me longer to update, I swear I will not just leave it unfinished.

 **Disclaimer:** As always I own nothing.

* * *

Hermione looked around the flat, taking in her surroundings for the first time. The flat was super clean with all white furnishings, and larger than she thought she needed for herself and Crookshanks. Her closet also had a lot of white, and she wondered when she started wearing so much of the color. Apparently moving to Australia the first time had been a good time to change her image, she was still getting used to her shorter hair.

"'Mione, this place is beautiful!" Ginny exclaimed, as she wandered the place with Harry and Ron.

Hermione nodded in response, noticing a picture on her bedside table. She walked over to it, and realized that it was one of the pictures that had been on the cover of one of the Daily Prophets that Draco had handed her earlier in the week. Picking it up, she gently traced his face as he flashed a dazzling smile for the cameras before turning his attention back to photo Hermione. She frowned and set it back down on the nightstand, turning to walk back into the living room where the other three were at.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do, Hermione? The doctor said that you should be doing things that were in your normal routine, trying to help jog the memory and what not," Ron said, frowning down at Crookshanks who was scowling up at him.

"Well the normal routine would have been back in London now wouldn't it? This was all new, and I don't want to go back to London, I want to stay and help find a cure," she picked up Crookshanks and started looking around for his food.

"It's the cabinet above the oven," Draco's familiar drawl came through the door. Hermione blushed and went about getting the food while Crookshanks started to squirm to get out of her arms. She finally set him down and glared while he padded over and wound himself around Draco's legs.

"Well _that's_ new," she muttered.

"Not really, were best mates now aren't we, Crooks? I just wanted to stop by and make sure you were settling in alright, Bernadette said that you had been released," he said.

She nodded as she set the food down, "thank you for taking care of him while I was in the hospital."

She blushed again as he nodded, realizing that if he had been here taking care of Crookshanks then there was a chance that he had seen the framed photo of them that she had apparently put beside the bed.

Harry cleared his throat and looked at Ginny who was watching amusedly, as the scene before her unfolded. Hermione shook her head and walked back into the living room, Draco slowly following behind her.

"Have you guys had any leads yet?" Ginny asked Draco, sitting next to Harry on the love seat.

"No, we're finding some interesting results by using powdered immature mandrake root, but no breakthroughs so far," he replied, running a hand through his hair.

"I'd like to come to the lab and try and help, that is, if Mr. Coperland wouldn't mind, do you think he would mind?" Hermione asked.

Draco shook his head with a small smile, "you _were_ supposed to start working for him. I'm sure he wouldn't have any problem with you helping, Granger."

He watched as she nodded slightly, blushing under his gaze. He liked that he had that effect on her, and that as the days had passed he seemed to be having a bigger impact every time they saw each other. He'd only seen her a few times since he had given her the packet of clippings and pictures of them a few days ago, but she seemed to warming up to the idea that he wasn't so bad anymore. Harry and Ginny had been a huge role in that, and for that he was grateful. Ron, well he hadn't exactly been helpful, but he hadn't exactly been unhelpful either.

"How is Theo doing with the lab on his own?" Harry asked Draco, leaning back against the couch and putting an arm around Ginny.

"He's doing fine, but the stress of Daphne's family is getting to him. Adrian isn't making life easy for either of them either," Draco replied.

"Poor Daphne, I'll be sure to send her an owl when we get back tomorrow, I'm sure it would be nice for her and Theo to get out and take some time away from everything," Ginny said sympathetically.

"How odd is it that you are that comfortable making plans with them? It just seems so natural to you, " Hermione said softly.

"People change, 'Mione, they surprise you if you let them," Harry said. He looked at Draco who nodded in return.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok on your own, 'Mione?" Ron asked, changing the subject.

Hermione raised her eyebrows, thoughtful for a moment before raising her eyes to meet Draco's. "I'll be just fine, Ronald. Besides, I won't be alone."

* * *

Blaise sipped his tea as he flipped through a file over lunch at a small café on the outskirts of Diagon Alley. It wasn't often he left the Ministry to have lunch, but if one more person mentioned Pansy coming back to town on the arm of some up and coming wizard from Sicily he was going to scream.

It wasn't that he missed her, because Merlin knew he was happy to have his space back, but it was the fact that she disregarded the friendship that they used to have before the relationship, and was making him look like a fool.

His attentions were drawn towards the entrance of the café when he heard Draco's name in conversation. He looked up to see a pretty brunette talking with a tall dark skinned beauty. He recognized them both from school, and both as former members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but their names escaped him.

He strained his ears to hear what they were talking about, and was in luck when they quickly made their way towards an empty table near him.

"I just don't think it's going to work, Angie, he can't seem to get over her," the shorter girl said.

"She fell in love with Malfoy once before and from the sounds of it he's not going to give her up without a fight. Fred is being a stupid prat, you deserve better, Katie. I'm sorry that he's putting you through all of this," Angelina said.

"Ugh! I can't help but be frustrated with Hermione, I know that sounds absolutely horrid, I feel like such a terrible friend."

"Katie, you can't be upset with her, none of this is her fault. Fred just needs to realize that he isn't going to win her over, and you need to move on from Fred, you deserve much better than him."

Katie gave a short laugh, "maybe I should try finding a Slytherin, seems to have worked out so well for Hermione."

Blaise laughed loudly at that, gaining the girls attention. Katie looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before leaning over towards his table, "Zabini, right? You went to Hogwarts with us?"

Blaise flashed her a charming smile, "Blaise, and I was also a Slytherin."

* * *

Theo looked up as Daphne walked into the lab, holding a bag of what he hoped was food. He hadn't left the lab in two days, working diligently on trying to find anything that would help Draco and Coperland with finding a cure for Hermione.

"How is everything going?" She asked, putting on a lab jacket and setting the food down.

He smiled at the picture she made, as she tied her hair back. Any stress weighing on his mind about her parents and Adrian disappearing as he watched her get ready to help him. He never pictured himself really settling down with anyone, but when the chance to save her presented itself he found that he wouldn't want to settle down with anyone else. Funny how life works out.

"Slow, no progress, how are things on your end?"

"Slow, but I think Adrian is starting to lose interest in this whole thing. Which means my parents won't have any ground to stand on," she said.

She grabbed the bag and walked over to where he was standing over a cauldron. He noticed she looked tired. "You don't have to be here with me you know? You should go home and get some rest," he took the bag from her and started rummaging through it.

"I don't want to go home, it doesn't feel right being there anymore, my parents are so mad about everything," she picked up a vial and read its contents.

"You could always stay at my place for a little while, after all, once all of this is over and done with we _will_ be engaged," he smirked.

She blushed and tucked a stray blonde hair behind her ear, "I wouldn't want to impose."

He set the bag of food down and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her closer to him. "You aren't imposing, Daph. I'm offering, this isn't for show you know? I meant it when I offered you a way out, so go get your stuff and just move in. The place is plenty big enough you can have your own wing if you want it."

She laughed and reached up to push a stray hair out of his eyes, "ok."

"Ok," Theo laughed, "you want your own wing or ok you'll move in?"

She stood on her tip toes to gently kiss him on the lips, "I'll move in."

* * *

Hermione jumped in surprise when the elevator doors to her building opened and Draco was standing on the other side. He smirked at her, holding out a tea and a bag full of what smelled like blueberry scone.

"Figured I could walk you to work this morning, Granger," he smiled at her.

She took the tea and gave him an annoyed look, "is this how it's always going to be, Malfoy?"

"Oh no, eventually I plan on finding a cure and having you regain your memories, then we can go back to London and finish what we started. But until that happens I plan on doing exactly what I told you I was going to do."

She raised an eyebrow, "which is?"

"I told you that I wasn't going to give up, that no matter how long it took, I was going to prove to you that I could be a man that deserves you. I meant what I said, and I know that you can't remember, but I want to take you on a proper date."

She stopped walking and looked at him incredulously, "you want me to go on a date with you?!"

He frowned at her before they continued walking again, "it's not like we haven't before, Granger."

"But I don't _remember_ that! How do you expect me to just be ok with going out with you?"

"You know I'm not lying to you, I proved it with the pictures and the newspapers, and your friends backed me up," his voice was quiet and he sounded like he was talking through clenched teeth.

"I need some time, Malfoy, some space, I don't know. I just want to go to my first day of work, with no accidents and no stress and no…" She trailed off.

He stopped walking next to her, causing her to stop and look back at him. She opened her mouth to say something but he held up a hand for her to stop, "have a good day at work, Hermione."

Before she could say anything he had turned and disappeared through the crowd. She sighed and turned around, looking up at the entrance into Wizarding Sydney. She tried to be excited for her first day working with _the_ Finneus Coperland, but her mind just kept wondering back to Draco.

* * *

Hermione frowned as she opened up the door to her flat and was met with a delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Everyone had gone back to London the night before, which meant the only person that she knew that was still here was…

"How was your first day at work?" A familiar drawl came around the corner holding two glasses of wine, Crookshanks right at his heels.

Hermione blanched and shook her head, "what are you doing here?"

"Making dinner, well if I'm being honest, I picked it up from the place where we went to celebrate last time. You really enjoyed the food there," he smiled.

"Malfoy…"

"It's Draco, Hermione, you used to call me Draco," his smile never faltered as he handed her a glass.

"I just told you this morning that I needed time, Draco," she said, sipping her wine and moving to the cabinet with Crookshanks food.

"I've already fed him, and I know, which is why this isn't a date. Just a friend making another friend dinner after her first day of work. Which went well I hope?" He ushered her into the dining room, where he had made up the table with lovely candles around all of the food, which Hermione had to admit _did_ look delicious.

"I also told you I needed space," she said, setting her wine down on the table.

"And I happen to know that you when you say you need space you don't mean it," he narrowed his eyes at her, smirking.

After a few moments a smirk to rival his own found its way onto her face and she laughed, " _now_ whose an insufferable know it all?"

She sat on one end of the table while he sat at the other, and stared talking about how her first day in the lab went. Draco felt relieved that she was finally opening up a little to him, but he knew that there was still a long way to go. He may have won this battle, but he had yet to win the war.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for it being so short. Buuuut at least it's out! Please review :)


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note:** Thank to you to those of you who are sticking by the story. I know it's hard going from one update a week to once a month. I remember the days where I used to get over fifty alerts on this overnight, now it's taken a few weeks to get that many, which makes me sad but I understand why you're all annoyed. However it makes it hard to finish this, I have too many other ideas I wanna play with besides trying to finish this, and judging by the last chapter it shows.

Special thank you to 24BlackRose2 for your review it literally made my day! Reading that made me **WANT** to work on this and I am so grateful to you for your kind words!

Thank you to 24BlackRose2, Scottkuduo, j2910, xjojox, kbaird89, yumalatar, SylT, levanabell, alijordan, kymmy1, Ms Anbu-Chan, rock-it 97, ErisedRose94, elljayde, lilsile, momma2011, the17thfred, and artisinthecreationofsubtext for adding the story to your favorites list.

Thank you to 24BlackRose2, Scottkuduo, j2910, xjojox, artisinthecreationofsubtext, litaaaaaa, Supernaturalidentity, Skizzbucketsgal, SylT, carrierd, fantasyfreak12, rkhariz, Smokeye, levanabell, CecileDK, PhoenixWarriorPrincess, vampluvr4evr, Xaphan Grey 394, naturallysweetened, Ms Anbu-Chan, rock-it 97, pinkdaisyjane, Nala Moon, Malina B, ErisedRose94, H2obury, alecxstraza, AcademyFall, Vie sz, ms goodshoes, emvts, d1421, fields-of-emerald, and piripipi26 for adding the story to your alerts list.

Thank you to 24BlackRose2, MissJodie, and roon0 for adding me to your favorite author or author alert lists.

Last but not least a tremendous thank you to foreverme slac, Ms Anbu-Chan, nogitsunescoyote, Gaerven, all guests, ElizabethV, JuliSt, and Helena W G for your reviews.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

Draco gave a frustrated sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. They had just tried the last batch of experimental potion and it didn't seem to be having any sort of effect other than turning the subject an odd shade of green.

He looked over at Hermione who had a frown on her face as she was scribbling down notes. Finneus was looking over her shoulder and nodding thoughtfully. She finally looked up at him, a determined look on her face, and smiled.

"Well, it looks like we're just going to have to try again," she said, setting her notes down and taking a seat at the table they were working at.

"We will find it eventually, I just know we're on to something here," Finneus muttered as he walked away, scratching his head.

"It's been weeks, Hermione, this could take years to figure out," Draco said as he sat down next to her.

She ran a hand through her hair and frowned as she was reminded again that she had cut it off, "I know, Draco, but I just can't stop now. We've come too far, we may very possibly be at the tip of the beginning of this research but I feel as if I can't just walk away now."

He looked at her for a moment before running his hand through his hair again, "I have to go back to London."

She looked at him confusingly and raised an eyebrow, "are you asking my permission? Cause I understand you have a new lab to run there as well, Draco. I'm not asking you to stay."

There it was, plain as day, hanging there in between them. A palpable dismissal as if he were just a coworker preparing to take a holiday. He had been putting off going back this whole time but Theo needed help, even if he had to travel back and forth he would. But he wasn't expecting her to be so willing to be left alone.

He raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips, "ok then."

"I'm sorry if that wasn't the response you were looking for," she said quietly.

"I just wish that you would give me a chance," he said just as quietly.

She reached over and touched his knee for a moment, smiling at him before pulling back, "it's not like you're going to be gone forever! Go back to London and take care of what you have to take care of and come back when you can. Who knows, maybe you'll be inspired while you're there."

He laughed and shook his head, "I'm sure I'll be buried in paperwork at the office. It just doesn't feel right, leaving you here alone."

"I'm a big girl, Draco, I think I can handle myself," she laughed.

Finneus came back over and started asking her about using a different main ingredient and she was easily whisked away without so much as a goodbye or backwards glance. Draco frowned as he watched her walk away, sighing, "so much for making progress."

* * *

Fred sat across from George, staring blankly at him as he talked about something funny Angelina had said to him the other day. He had been in a horrid mood over the past few weeks, and often would catch himself thinking that maybe it had just been better off if he _had_ been dead all those months ago.

But as sour as his mood had been, he wasn't prepared for how he felt when he saw Katie walk through the door of the pub with Blaise Zabini, Slytherin and the main reason for his poor mood's best friend.

He spit his butterbeer out which sprayed across the table on George, earning him a shout from his twin.

"What the bloody hell was that for?!"

"Tell me that isn't Katie over there with Blaise Zabini?!"

George turned around to look where Fred was not so subtly pointing and gave a short laugh, "yep, that's her alright. Looks like the whole lion serpent thing is really catching on."

Fred gave him an annoyed look and George shrugged his shoulders, "did you expect her to wait around for you, Freddy? You didn't exactly treat her right you know."

"What happened to twin support here, George?" Fred asked as he moved to get out of the booth they were sitting in.

George grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him back down, "leave her alone, Fred. You're only gonna make a fool of yourself."

Fred frowned but sat back down, glaring in the direction of the booth that Katie and Blaise had just sat down in, and when the bar maid asked if he wanted another butterbeer he shook his head and ordered two shots of fire whiskey instead.

 **Across the pub**

Blaise laughed at something Katie said as they sat in an empty booth towards the front of the pub. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the Weasley twins staring at them from their own booth further back. He knew by the few times he had hung out with the brunette Gryffindor that her relationship with Fred Weasley had not ended well for her, and that she had not gotten proper closure, but he was attempting to help her move on anyways.

Ever since that day in the café, they had corresponded by owl, and he had finally gotten her to agree to have lunch with him a week later. He'd taken her out a few times, and found that the more time he spent with her he genuinely enjoyed her company, and from what he could tell she enjoyed spending time with him too. But judging by the look on Fred's face their night was either about to be ruined, or provide an immense amount of entertainment.

"Not to startle you, but Weasley is over there looking at us like a kid who lost his lolli," he said quietly.

Katie's eyes widened slightly and she turned to look behind her to where Blaise had nodded, but she stopped quickly as he laughed abruptly and grabbed her hand, "don't look!"

She giggled and looked down to where he had grabbed her hand, blushing as she realized he was making no move to let go. He followed her gaze and lightened his hold, smirking, "what do you say we give him a show?"

She looked at him confusingly at first, and then in shock as he picked up her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss. She made no move to pull her hand away as he laced his fingers through hers, and her heart skipped a beat at the little smirk he wore.

"He ended things with me, remember? I don't think your little show is going to do much, not that I want it to, I think…that maybe it's time to move on," a shy smile appeared on her face as she flexed her fingers in Blaise's. His smirk turned into a genuine smile and Katie marveled at how handsome he looked.

Just like that another Gryffindor fell prey to a Slytherin's charms.

* * *

Daphne stared at the paper in front of her, quill in hand, listening to an undersecretary prattle on about the details of breaking off the engagement to Adrian. Theo was sitting next to her, twirling his quill around his fingers, feigning interest in whatever the woman was telling them. They didn't care however, they just wanted to get it over with. Adrian had finally tired in his pursuit and in a move that had surprised everyone, petitioned for Astoria's hand in marriage instead.

Her parents couldn't be more thrilled, and were now speaking to her again since in their eyes they were still getting what they wanted. Astoria had been purely outraged, and Daphne had thoroughly enjoyed seeing the fit her sister had thrown when she was told the news.

It had taken her a little less than three days to pack up her things and move everything into one of the rooms at Theo's. He had been gracious to let her pick whichever room she had wanted, and they had even gone to look at rings together so he could "get a sense for what she liked."

Little did she know that he was planning on using his grandmothers ring that was sitting in his vault at Gringotts. Nana Nott had always told him never to use it unless he truly loved the witch he was marrying, and while there was still a ways to go before they were throwing around the "l" word, he had no qualms that they would get there someday.

"Do you both understand the contract in which you are entering?" The undersecretary asked.

They both nodded and looked at each other with smiles on their faces, taking turns signing the parchment, and watching as their signatures glowed brightly for a moment before sinking down permanently.

Daphne leaned over and whispered, "you're stuck with me now, Nott."

He turned and grinned at her, "oh no, Greengrass _you're_ stuck with _me_."

She giggled as they made their way out of the Ministry and towards Florean Fortescue's where they were meeting up with Ginny and Harry before Theo had to go back to work. She smiled as he slipped his hand into hers and led her down the street, thinking to herself that this was how it was supposed to feel, natural and not forced like it always had been with Adrian.

* * *

"Draco? Crooks?" Hermione called out as she walked into her flat. When she had returned from talking with Finneus over what effect Asphodel would have in their potion, she had realized that Draco had disappeared.

Sure, he had said that he had to go back to London, but she didn't think he had meant right at that second. She had looked for him at the Ministry after she had finished up in the lab, before realizing that he was no where to be found.

They had settled into somewhat of a routine these past few weeks where more often than not he cooked dinner, or got takeout, at her flat. But there was no smell of food to greet her and everything looked like it did when she had left that morning.

She moved into the kitchen to put food in Crooks' bowl and just figured that Draco was at his own flat tonight, until she saw a note on her kitchen table in his elegant script.

 **Hermione,**

 **Not sure when I'll be back. I'll keep in touch with what we come up with here.**

 **Draco**

She frowned as she read the short letter and realized that he really had just up and left right after their talk in the lab. She felt bad, as though she had been too harsh, but she was still learning how to talk and act around him. He treated her as though she was still the same person she was before the accident, and she wasn't. She didn't know how to be romantic with him, and if she was being honest with herself she wasn't even sure she wanted to be.

Part of her argued with herself that she wasn't giving him the chance to change her mind about him, and it was true, they had been cooped up in the lab for weeks. She had refused to go on any dates with him and had kept everything as casual as she could, maybe she wasn't really being fair. But another part of her argued that finding a way to restore her memories was more important than anything romantic that had been going on between them. Because according to just about everyone, including the Daily Prophet, their personal lives had just been a bunch of drama. She didn't have time for things like that when they were on the edge of making a breakthrough in their potion, and they were, she just knew they were getting close to seeing some results.

She set the letter down and looked around her dark flat, picking up Crookshanks and burying her face in his fur. Her eyes stung, and she sniffed, realizing that there were tears in them. Crookshanks mewled softly, nudging his head against her cheek, letting her know that he was there for her. But even as she cuddled him to her, for the first time since she could remember, she felt utterly alone.

* * *

Theo walked down the hall towards his office when he heard a strange noise from the other end of the hallway. He furrowed his brow and turned, noticing that the door to Draco's office was wide open. He hurried down the hall to see who could be in there, only to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw Draco standing at his desk going over papers.

"Welcome back! Did you guys figure it out yet? Or did you just miss me?"

Draco looked up at him and Theo could instantly tell that something was bothering his blonde friend, "what's wrong, Draco?"

"I don't know how much more I can take of this, she's hot and she's cold and she's smiling and then wants nothing to do with me. It's like something deep down in her wants to give me a chance but then the bossy know it all on the surface won't allow it! She hasn't even gone on a proper date with me! She's been locked in that lab for weeks, Theo, weeks! She knew I was going to have to start traveling back and forth, I can't just abandon you and the company, and you know what she said? She said ' _are you asking my permission because I didn't ask you to stay_ ,'" he ranted, doing a poor job of impersonating her.

Theo just stared at him with wide eyes, waiting a moment before he opened his mouth to speak but just as he did Draco cut him off.

"And how absolutely pathetic does that make me? I told her I would wait and do whatever I had to do, it's only been a few weeks and the blasted witch has already driven me mad! And then I try and do nice things and she-"

"Draco, shut it," Theo interrupted him. Draco stopped talking and looked at him with a blank look on his face.

"You wanna know what my advice is? Stop being a bloody Gryffindor! She didn't fall for this sap I see crying before me, she fell for Draco Malfoy! Slytherin Prince! Cocky, self entitled, pretty boy who made her life a living hell in school and then somehow redeemed himself, without losing the qualities that most of the Gryffindors hate about you. Stop doting on her, she's not the type of girl who would like that regardless. Let her do her work and either help or get out of the way and do work here. You don't need to be with her all day long every single day, Draco. She probably feels smothered, some space will do you both some good," Theo yelled.

Draco just stared at him, shock blanketing his face, "have you felt like this the whole time I've been there?"

Theo shook his head, "just realizing it as I'm sitting here, listening to you cry about how she won't give you the time of day because you keep pushing yourself on her. Give her some space to breathe, she's been through so much, Draco. She needs to feel normal before she can even begin to think about moving forward with you, and you need to set yourself up for the possibility that she may not want to move forward."

Draco took a few deep breaths before sitting down behind his desk. That wasn't an option, not moving forward. He wasn't going to give her up that easily again, but maybe Theo had a point about actually giving her some space.

He started digging around the papers on his desk again, looking sheepish, "so how are things at the lab?"

Theo grinned and leaned forward in his chair, "I thought you'd never ask!"

* * *

"Wait so are you guys like actually dating?" Ginny asked excitingly as Katie blushed under her intense stare.

"I wouldn't exactly call it dating, I don't know," she answered timidly.

Ginny laughed out loud and brushed her hair out of her face, "oh I'll bet Fred was just positively buggered."

Angelina raised an eyebrow at the redhead, "you aren't mad?"

Ginny looked at her confusingly, "why would I be mad?"

Katie and Angelina looked at each other, then back at Ginny. Katie cleared her throat, "well Fred _is_ your brother."

"And Fred is being a total git, besides…Blaise is gorgeous!" Ginny exclaimed.

Harry cleared his throat from his spot beside Ginny, "I'm sitting right here."

She turned to look at him and nodded her head, "yea I know."

The girls laughed as Harry shook his head and took his glasses off to clean them, "as long as he treats you right, Katie, that's all that matters."

"We aren't even dating!" Katie cried out.

"Can we all just take a moment to let this sink in? Two of our own matched with Slytherins…so weird," Angelina said.

Ginny and Harry exchanged a look that made Katie raise her eyebrows, "how are things going with them? Blaise said Draco came back a few days ago and he's been in a foul mood."

Ginny looked thoughtful, as if trying to figure out what to say. But it was Harry that answered Katie, "Draco has decided to give Hermione a bit of space. Theo thinks he was smothering her. She was pretty quiet about it when we owled her, just said that she was busy in the lab and that Draco had things he needed to do here."

"Has she started remembering anything yet?" Angelina asked.

Ginny shook her head, "no and from the sounds of it Draco doesn't think they are any closer than they were."

"Are you guys planning on going to see her anytime soon?" Katie asked.

Harry leaned back and put his arm around Ginny, "we're trying to get her to come home for the holidays, but if I know her she won't leave the lab."

They all looked up as a shrill laugh cut through the air of the pub, Pansy had just walked in on the arm of her new beau.

"And on that note, I think it's time to leave," Ginny said, getting up from the table.

Everyone followed suit and shuffled into a line to leave. Pansy made a face as they walked past her and muttered something about blood traitors under her breath just as Katie was walking by. Katie stopped and looked at her sideways before a very unsettling smirk found its way to her face.

She turned to Pansy with a smile, "Pansy! It's been so long since school, I just wanted to say thank you!"

Pansy looked at her with a surprised scowl and after a few blinks she managed to wipe the look off her face and replace it with a flat smile, "what are you thanking me for?"

Harry, Ginny, and Angelina had all stopped and were watching the exchange with amused interest. Katie leaned in towards Pansy who leaned away giving her a look of distaste.

"Thank you for royally screwing things up with Blaise. He's quite the catch," Katie said, smirking at the look on Pansy's face.

She straightened up and walked out of the pub, smiling at Angelina and winking at Harry and Ginny as she passed.

Harry shook his head, "what are the Slytherins doing to you girls?"

* * *

Daphne watched Draco with a worried look on her face. He had been sulking around the office and the lab for days, and it was getting on Theo's nerves which in turn was making Theo cranky.

There had been no word from Hermione since he'd come back, and after talking to Ginny she learned that Hermione was being tight lipped with even her friends.

"Have you gone to see your Mother?" She asked.

Draco looked up at her as if he had never realized she was even in the office with him. He shook his head in a negative manner and went back to his paperwork. Daphne frowned at him and pulled the paperwork out from under his nose.

"What are you doing?!" He yelled as his quill made a long mark as she pulled the parchment.

"Trying to talk to you, Draco! You can't just mope around here for the rest of the time Hermione takes to decide whatever she wants to do! Get it together man!"

He just stared at her blankly before narrowing his eyes at her, "what the bloody hell do you all suppose I do?! All I can think about is what she's doing, and if she's even thinking about me, and if she's remembering to make it home in time to feed that blasted cat of hers! The bloody witch has completely consumed every part of me!"

Daphne just stared at him because he clearly wasn't finished but he just threw his hands in the air and leaned back in his chair, voice cracking, "what if she decides she doesn't want to give me a chance, Daph? Am I just supposed to walk away and pretend this chapter of my life never happened?"

"Go and see your Mother, Draco. You know she would love to see you, and maybe she has some ideas, you never know."

Draco sighed but nodded, "thanks."

"Anytime, anything to get Theo out of this mood you've brought upon him," she laughed.

Draco looked around sarcastically, "speaking of Theo, why are you sitting in my office and not in his?"

"He's locked himself up at the new lab, I told him to be in a better mood when he came home tonight," she rolled her eyes.

"Ah, marital bliss. Already at each other's throats and spending time in the company of other men," he laughed, then had to dodge the paperweight that Daphne threw at him.

* * *

Hermione twirled her quill around in her fingers as she stared blankly at the turquoise colored potion in front of her. Finneus had been working in another part of the lab for the last few days, and they were no closer to having a breakthrough than they were two weeks ago when Draco had left.

The blonde had been on her mind a lot lately, ever since Ginny had sent her an owl talking about what a bad mood he had been in since he had been back in London, he was never far from her thoughts.

It really amazed her at how comfortable Ginny and Harry seemed to be with Draco, and it also made her feel as though she was being really unfair when it came to him. Even Crookshanks seemed to be a little off without his new companion.

She sighed, scribbling down some notes and moving to grab a vial for the potion. She understood that Finneus had other things to be working on, and none of the other potion makers seemed to be interested in their project, but she wished that there was someone she could talk to and bounce ideas off of.

Draco had always been good at potions, better than her, at least when Snape was teaching the class. She briefly thought about sending an owl to Harry to see if he could find out if Draco had made any headway in London. Shaking her head, the idea was stupid, she thought to herself. There should be no reason why she couldn't send her own owl to ask him herself.

She capped the vial and grabbed her quill, pulling out a new piece of parchment. After a few hastily written lines she read the letter and frowned.

 **Draco,**

 **How are things going at the lab? Have you made any headway?**

 **Hermione**

"Well that's certainly straight and to the point, I'm sure he'll be more than happy to share his findings with you," she muttered to herself crumpling up the parchment and throwing it in a nearby bin. Slouching in her chair she wrote a few more lines on a new sheet of parchment.

 **Draco,**

 **No luck with the ingredients from America. Coperland is busy working on another project so I've been going at it alone. Would be nice to hear some news from your lab.**

 **Hermione**

She shook her head when she read it and rolled her eyes as she threw it away as well. After a few moments of chewing on her bottom lip she pulled out another piece of parchment.

 **Draco,**

 **When will you be back? Crooks is starting to miss you.**

 **Yours,**

 **Hermione**

* * *

Theo threw a vial across the room and yelled as it shattered, spilling dittany all over the floor. Draco was driving him mad, and he was taking it out on Daphne who had finally had enough of it this morning and had told him he couldn't come back to the manor until he was in a better mood. Barely in his home for a few weeks and the witch was ordering him around like she was already the Lady of the manor.

He loved Draco like a brother, but he didn't know how much more of this he could take. Draco had basically holed himself up in his office or in his private lab since he'd been back, working tirelessly on a potion to help restore Hermione's memories. They had made hundreds of different potions from thousands of ingredients and so far they had come up with absolutely nothing. Not even any leads.

"Mr. Nott, there's someone here to see you," a secretary said in a timid voice behind him.

Theo hung his head and motioned for her to let them in. She cleared her throat and didn't walk away so Theo turned to look at her.

"It's a Centaur, Sir. He was asking for Mr. Malfoy but said you would do."

Theo rolled his eyes, but his interest was piqued. Why would a Centaur be asking for Draco? All the business with the Centaurs had been handled and they had migrated further into the forest, and the Centaurs weren't exactly fond of the Malfoy family. Theo sighed, Draco was going to be the death of him.

He walked out to the front of the lab and took a breath before opening the door. The sight that greeted him however, was a friendly one, and he let out the breath he had been holding.

"Firenze! What brings you here to see Draco?"

The tall Centaur looked at him warmly with a knowing look in his eyes, "Mr. Nott, news has reached my colony that Miss Granger is in trouble?"

Theo paused for a moment, wondering how on earth news of that had reached them in the depths of the forest. But before he could open his mouth to ask Firenze spoke again.

"The nature of the way we learn things is of no importance. But it is my understanding that you are working diligently on trying to find a cure to restore her memories?"

Theo nodded up at him, still baffled by how he had come by this information, "yes, Draco just arrived back a couple of weeks ago. We've been working here and Hermione is working with Finneus Coperland in Australia."

Firenze nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment, "can you bring a message to Mr. Malfoy for me?"

Theo nodded slowly, "do you know something we don't?"

Firenze smiled like he had the answer to everything and for some odd reason it gave Theo hope.

Pawing at the ground with his hoof, Firenze leaned down closer to Theo, "tell him that I may have something that will help. Something I'm fairly certain will bring great results."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Please review :) I'm challenging myself to get the next chapter out within two weeks. The next one has a lot of content so be patient! Only two more chapters to go!


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much to those of you who have stuck with this story all these months. There is only one more chapter after this one so our story is quickly coming to an end. I do have a couple more I am working on, more one shots than full length stories, and I am thinking of perhaps adding another chapter to Perchance to Dream.

Thank you to Nacf, zanyriri,, meghanmischiefmanaged, kalikk, Darkwingsnow, potter-centric, RosesPearls, BBaillie, Jedi SteelWolf, Jar89, lilmissbossy86, searching4myneverland, KAHKEN423513, alixarra, Girl from beyond, xomegmegxo, EggyBee, Elcarim-Soberian-1222, SamLani, fanficlove95, Themisslovely, LoganRiley, FallingStar7, lexa2611, Dreameuro, lillypad101, inizhay, buckbeakrider, aeoc94, brittany2010, MsNyny4, kaypatel02, AzkabanBound, natamanchuk, kjpqm9, crazygirlsb88, dramonie1028, inv2, Pink5007, Butterfly-fighter, UnattainableDarkAngel, Mbelcourt, and HCB for adding the story to your alerts.

Thank you to Nacf, CLAL, meghanmischiefmanaged, darkcarola17, lilmissbossy86, KAHKEN423513, alixarra, xomegmegxo, Elcarim-Soberian-1222, magiclover17, SamLani, disestablishmentaria, Themisslovely, FallingStar7, lexa2611, Dreameuro, lillypad101, direwolf1829, brittany2010, jackieforever, UnattainableDarkAngel, Kasai Chickie, AzkabanBound, Vaneesa85, and Mbelcourt for adding the story to your favorites list.

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Last but not least thank you to all the tremendous reviewers! All the guest reviews, 24BlackRose2, Helena W G, foreverme slac, KahKen423513, alixarra, FallingStar7, Dreameuro, booklover19a, jmullinax, AzkabanBound, ItzelNox, Makele 880, Raven that flies at night, JuliSt, Jen0318, Gnoloo, Kiwiflea, cas-xo, TJs baby girl, and morethanbooks!

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

Hermione looked up from her book when she heard a knock on the door. Before she could get up to go answer it Crookshanks had jumped off the couch and ran over to the door, making her heart skip a beat, he only ever did that for one person.

She got up quickly and looked down at her leggings and oversized jumper, frowning. There was another knock at the door and she ran from the living room to her bedroom, pulling her hair out of its messy bun. She waved her wand and did a quick Scourgify spell, then pulled out a pair of jeans and a simple white tee.

A third knock sounded at the door, followed by a familiar drawl that sent Crookshanks into a frenzy pawing at the door. "Granger, I know you're in there."

She tugged on the jeans and tee and walked over to the door, willing her heart to stop beating so quickly. She took a few breaths, trying to calm herself, before finally opening it.

Draco was standing there, holding her note, with a smirk on his face, "Crooks missed me did he?"

She blushed and moved so that he could come inside, "yes, I'm always at the lab so he's had no one to pay attention to him."

He tossed the note on her kitchen table and gave her a knowing look, "admit it, Granger. You missed me."

"I missed having someone to bounce ideas off of in the lab!" She exclaimed, moving to put water in the tea kettle.

"Sure," he grinned at her. It made her heart skip a beat again and start a war with her brain, which was yelling at her for being attracted to the ferret.

"Have you made any progress?" She asked, setting up a tea tray.

"Not really, I got swamped in paperwork. We've tried thousands of different ingredients, but haven't found any thing that even points us in the right direction," he answered, picking up Crookshanks and sitting at the table.

"Decide to take a day off?" He asked her.

She nodded, "I hit a dead end and Coperland has been busy with other projects."

"It isn't healthy for you to be in there for days on end anyways," he tried putting Crookshanks down but the cat set his claws into his shirt.

The tea kettle sounded that it was ready, and she moved it off of the stove and brought everything over to the table. "Are you hungry?"

"I was actually thinking of heading to the lab myself, start working on a new idea I had. You take the rest of the day off and come back on Monday refreshed," he said, making their tea.

"If you're going straight to the lab then I should go with," she argued.

"No, you clearly need a break. I just wanted to stop by because Crooks missed me, didn't you buddy?" He asked, scratching the cat on the head.

Hermione didn't know what to say to that, so she sat back in her chair and just said nothing. Draco looked at her out of the corner of his eye and smirked, apparently giving her space had worked.

* * *

Blaise looked up from the file he was working on as Theo walked into his cubicle with an exasperated look on his face.

"Have you seen Draco? He's just disappeared and I really need to talk to him," he said as he slumped into a chair and propped his feet up on Blaise's desk.

Blaise looked at him distastefully and nudged Theo's boots away, "have you checked his lab? Or asked Narcissa?"

"Daphne checked in with Narcissa yesterday and she said she hadn't seen him, there's half done paperwork on his desk, it's like he just vanished into thin air!"

Blaise looked thoughtful for a moment, "or humid air."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe he went back to see Hermione?" Blaise mused.

Theo frowned, "don't you think he would have said something?"

"Does it seem uncharacteristic of Draco to just disappear without an explanation?" Blaise asked sarcastically.

"I see your point," Theo deadpanned. Blaise went back to his file while Theo looked around the cubicle, whistling, having no intention of leaving yet.

After a few moments, Blaise looked up at him again, "was there something else you needed, Theo? Some of us have work to do."

Theo smirked, "that's why I'm trying to find Draco! Firenze says that he thinks he has something to help with the potion!"

Blaise waited for him to continue, but he just went back to whistling and feigning interest in the articles taped to Blaise's wall, "are you going to tell me?"

Theo looked back to him and laughed, "I wanted to tell Draco first! But alright, I guess since you twisted my arm I'll tell ya."

* * *

Draco smirked to himself when he heard Hermione's voice behind him as she entered the lab. A few moments later and she had dropped a bag of food on the table next to him. He turned and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I figured that you had to eat at some point," she said while shrugging on a lab coat.

"I thought we agreed that you were going to come back on Monday refreshed?"

"No, you said that. I didn't exactly agree with it," she sat down next to him and looked over at his cauldron.

Draco let her look over his new set of notes while grabbing a sandwich out of the bag she had brought, "just something that Theo and I were working on back home. Hasn't really given us any leads."

Hermione passed his notes back to him, "yea that's just about where we're at too."

He could see the frustration in her eyes and reached over to lay a hand on hers, she froze at the gesture and he quickly pulled his hand away. "I meant what I said, Hermione, you need to take a break."

"I don't want to sit around my house and do nothing, Draco. I need to be doing something," she said, twirling a quill around her fingers.

Draco smiled a little and raised an eyebrow at her, "well, you can always take me up on the offer of an actual date."

She blushed and stuttered, "that's not what I meant by doing something."

"I know it isn't, but I'm asking again, if only as a way to pass the time. Let's go to dinner,just two colleagues, tonight?"

She was silent for a few moments before she turned and looked at him. She couldn't argue that he was handsome, even without her memories of being attracted to him she knew that. But his eyes, they looked so careful, so guarded when he looked at her, she knew then how hard it had to have been for him to be going through this. The idea that they had once been intimate intimidated her now that he was back again. It all came back to the same argument that she was no longer the girl he had had a relationship with, but sitting here and looking into his eyes, it sort of made her wish that she was.

With that revelation, before she could stop herself she found that was accepting his offer with a simple, "alright then."

A look of confusion passed over his face, replaced by a small smile, "I knew I would wear you down eventually."

She sniffed and grabbed his notes again, "don't push your luck, Malfoy. After all, everyone has to eat at some point right?"

* * *

"So, explain this to me again, because I just can't seem to wrap my mind around it." Blaise said, looking at Theo with a confused look on his face.

"I second that," Ginny followed. Before Theo told Blaise what Firenze had said, they had called Harry, Ginny, Ron and Daphne to meet them at the pub.

"Firenze said that a Centaur hoof has magical properties. It's been considered a myth because no Centaur would willingly give part of his hoof up to a human, not to mention that the hoofs magic die with the Centaur. In the late 1600s the Centaurs were hunted for their hoofs, after it had been revealed by one who had fallen in love with a witch that they carried magic. The witch's father was dying and there wasn't anything that could be done for him, no magic was able to save him. But the Centaur told the witch that if he willingly gave up his hoof that they could use it to brew a potion, and that the magic would work because he gave it willingly. It saved the witch's father but word got out and the Centaur was hunted down and killed, as was a major part of its colony. They had to go into hiding for such a long time that at one point Centaurs were thought to be extinct," Theo explained.

"I remember learning something about that in Care of Magical Creatures," Harry said.

"Wait, so Firenze is offering up his hoof?!" Ron asked.

"He's offering up part of it, willingly, so the magic should still work according to him. He cares a great deal for Hermione, and wants to see her regain her memories," Daphne answered.

"Have you told Malfoy? Or owled Hermione?" Harry asked.

Theo shook his head, "we're pretty sure Draco went back to see Hermione and just didn't bother to tell any of us. Daph and I were thinking we would work with what Firenze gave us before we said anything to them."

"Well that seems silly, Hermione could probably figure out how to use it before you could," Ron argued.

"We don't want to get their hopes up, Firenze isn't entirely sure it will work for this," Theo said.

"You know that if Draco finds out you've been keeping this from him he's going to be pissed," Blaise said.

"It's better than giving them false hope," Ginny said.

Everyone nodded in agreement before Ron clapped his hands together, breaking the silence, "well what do you need from us?"

"We need all the help we can get with preparing the ingredients and making sure things are done just right. So whatever you're comfortable with doing in the lab, we could use the help," Theo said.

"Even if it's just to get food or keep away the press, which is what I've mostly been doing. Every little bit helps," Daphne followed.

"Let's just hope this works," Harry said.

"Firenze is hopeful, we just have to be hopeful too," Ginny said, grabbing a hold of Harry's hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze and laid her head on his shoulder.

"We just have to be hopeful," she echoed.

* * *

Hermione looked herself over in the mirror again and then spun around so she could see the back of her dress…again. She had chosen a short white dress with cap sleeves and silver embellishing, and had tied her hair up in a messy twist with some of her curls framing her face.

It had taken her nearly an hour to figure out her makeup, but she had finally figured out that less was more with the mascara and that all she really needed was that and a red lipstick. The lipstick shade had been the most used so she assumed it was what she wore most often.

She sighed and slipped on a pair of silver ballet flats and looked at the clock, Draco was supposed to be there any minute to pick her up. She gave Crookshanks a scratch on the head while moving to her bedside table to pick up the photo that still sat there in its frame, taunting her. She ran her fingers over the surface of it, admiring the way Draco was looking at her before turning to look at the camera. A part of her longed for him to look at her the way he looked at her in the photo, and another part knew that he would if she would only let him. But as she ran her fingers over the image of herself she frowned. It was stupid really, to be annoyed by it, like the Hermione in the picture was another girl entirely. But she wasn't another girl entirely, and yet she was.

But Draco was the same, and he kept claiming that he wanted her, but she felt as if he just wanted the old her. He hadn't really even tried getting to know her again, for her sake. She set the photo down and looked back at Crookshanks who was sprawled out on her bed, watching her curiously.

"Tell me what to do, Crooks."

But he just laid there silently, and she received no advice from her beloved pet.

 **Draco's hotel**

Draco undid his tie and retied it for the third time in the last twenty minutes. He was nervous and he hated it. He hadn't felt this way since the war, he hadn't even felt like this the first time he had taken her out, but for some reason he was feeling it now.

He and Hermione ending up together the first time wasn't exactly thought out, and now he felt like he actually had the chance to court her. But underneath it all, the only thing she remembered about him was from school, so he had a lot to make for, it was a lot of pressure.

He loosened his tie and started to do it again, before yanking it off and staring at himself in the mirror. He was dressed in classic Malfoy black, he looked like a spitting image of himself in sixth year. He looked at his reflection for a few more moments before deciding that he needed to change what he was wearing altogether.

Walking to his closet he took off his black suit jacket and unbuttoned his black dress shirt. He hung both back up and pulled out a crisp white dress shirt and a different tie. When he was done buttoning it, he rolled the sleeves up to his elbows and tied his tie in a looser knot, then ran a hand through his perfectly gelled hair so that it fell a little more messy.

Maybe getting her to open up to him a little more would be easier if he didn't look exactly like the git he did in school that she hated so much. He sighed and checked the time, he was supposed to be picking her up at her flat soon. He thought about floo calling his Mother for a last minute pep talk before deciding to take a swig of fire whiskey instead.

He felt like he would need it.

* * *

Theo and Daphne looked at the small pile of hoof shavings that was in a container on the counter. They had been trying to figure out how to experiment with only a little bit so that they could send the rest to Hermione and Draco, if he was even with her.

"Why don't we figure out how we're going to test it first?" Daphne offered, picking up a stack of files full of patient info from St. Mungos.

Theo scratched his head while flipping through part of the stack, "I'm starting to think maybe we should just send the information to Hermione."

"I just really don't want her to get her hopes up, not that I'm doubting Firenze or anything, but I mean this is all just based off of a myth isn't it?"

Theo looked thoughtful for a moment before picking out a random file, "let's use the potion that has given us the most success, the one with the Valerian root, and just use it on this poor sap. Apparently his wife slipped him too much forgetfulness potion so that he wouldn't remember how much she spent shopping, ironic isn't it? That the one potion we've had success with has the main ingredient of the forgetfulness potion?"

Daphne gave a short laugh, "let's just hope this works."

 **An hour later**

Theo handed a short bald man with spectacles a vial filled with a dark teal liquid, "alright, Mr. Daby, drink up."

He and Daphne held their breaths as the man drank the liquid and made a sour face like he was going to spit it out. Daphne rushed forward and covered the man's mouth with her hand and placed her other hand on the back of head, placing pressure on it so that he had to swallow the potion. She made a face as he swallowed with a squishy sounding gulp and ran away to wash her hands.

Theo sat there and watched as the man sat for a minute before a light seemed to fill his eyes. He looked up at Theo as an angry look settled on his face, "that crazy witch! She poisoned me! Didn't want me to be asking questions about her shopping habits no doubt! I'll have her sent to Azkaban! Crazy bint!"

He got up and stormed out of the lab, before entering again with a confused look on his face, "where am I?!"

Theo laughed as Daphne came back. He picked her up and spun her around as the man sat there looking at them with a weird expression, "did she have me kidnapped as well?!"

"No! Mr. Daby, we've been working on a potion to help with memory loss. You were sent to St. Mungos because your wife had given you too much forgetfulness potion, so we used you as our test subject to see if our potion works," Theo explained.

The man looked thoughtful for a second before looking angry again, "you experimented on me?!"

"It worked didn't it?!" Theo yelled at him, moving to write some things down on his note parchment. "We need to send this to Hermione right away."

"We can send it through an express portkey, I would say let's take it to her ourselves but we have the gala tomorrow night, and if Draco _is_ there he will know what to do with your notes," Daphne said.

"I'm not even sure she would take anything from us, even with Draco's coercing. We're still just a couple of Slytherins to her right now," Theo said sadly.

Daphne laid a hand on his shoulder in comfort, "she'll be back to the Hermione we know soon."

* * *

Hermione smiled as the waiter put her food down in front of her. Draco had been there exactly when he said he would, with a bouquet of her favorite flowers, and looking devastatingly handsome.

They had ridden in the back of an arranged car, something she had been shocked and impressed with. He had said it was reminiscent of their first real date, when she had asked what their first non-real date was he had the grace to look uncomfortable which quickly led her to believe that it was the time they got drunk and slept together.

She had found herself thinking about it the whole car ride to the restaurant, about what it would be like to sleep with him. She had been thrown when she had been told that she had a bit of a drinking problem after her parents had passed away, but she supposed it was the product of dealing with everything on her own. But to get so drunk that she slept with him, Draco Malfoy of all people, just really threw her for a loop.

She looked up at him from across the table, a quick glance from beneath her lashes. He was staring at her with a soft smile on his face.

"It's ok, Granger. This doesn't have to be awkward," he said, as he starting cutting into his steak.

"Why do you call me that? I mean sometimes you call me Hermione and other times you call me Granger?"

He looked stunned for a moment, then thoughtful as tho it was as if he hadn't really noticed it, "old habits I suppose? I guess subconsciously I didn't want you getting too weirded out by my calling you Hermione."

"Ginny tells me that there's a Ministry gala tomorrow night, won't you be missed?"

He laughed softly and took a sip of his wine, "I'm sure my Mother will let everyone know that I'm in safe hands."

"Yes, your Mother, who seems to like me? Which is odd considering, you know the whole torturing by Bellatrix thing in the Manor during the war," she took a bite of her food like she was just making normal conversation.

He froze for a moment, before sighing and setting down his fork and knife, "Mother loves you as a matter of fact. She went to my father and got him to sign over the entire estate to me, so I didn't have to rely on benefactors for our lab, so I didn't have to worry about what society thought of us together."

"But you did? Worry about it I mean, obviously," she gestured between them.

He frowned at her, "why are you being so difficult? Why are you _trying_ to make things difficult?"

"I'm just trying to understand, how after all that supposedly happened, I ended up back here and you just let me go?" She wouldn't meet his gaze so she missed when his eyes softened at her statement.

"Why do you care?" He asked softly, with a hint of hopefulness in his voice.

"Why do you?"

Their food long forgotten, the music playing in the background from the live jazz band, the people dancing on the floor behind their table, it seemed to all disappear to him as she asked him that question. It was like everything went fuzzy and it was just the two of them in the room.

"I care because I love you, Hermione. I changed, because of you, into a better man than I could have ever hoped to be. Because I wanted to be someone worthy of you, and I know that scares you because you can't remember any of the things that we went through together. But let me tell you, in those few short months, we went through enough to last a lifetime, especially given our terrible past at school. Between the Weasley twin, and Pansy, and Daphne's mother, I'm not surprised that you wanted to come back here to forget it all and move forward with a fresh start," he paused with a small smile and a laugh. "I guess you did get a fresh start after all, ironic really."

Her chest hurt and she let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. He loved her, and while she couldn't exactly wrap her head around it, it made her feel good inside. But there was still the nagging part of her that kept reminding her that he loved the old her, not the her that was here now.

"You're in love with a girl that no longer exists, Draco. She may never exist again, and your partially to blame for it really, did you ever think about that?"

He felt like she had just hit him with a Crucio, all the background noises and images came flooding back to him full force as he stared at her with wide shocked eyes.

The truth was that he _had_ thought about that. He had thought about it being his fault that she had been hit by that car, and in some small amount he blamed himself. But he had never fully taken responsibility for it.

"Do you blame me for your accident?"

She looked down at the table pushing a carrot around her plate, and after what seemed like forever to Draco she finally whispered, "no, I don't."

"So why can't we just move forward then? Eventually we will find a cure for you, and everything will work itself out," he said, taking another bite of his steak.

"What if it doesn't?" She asked softly.

"Then we will just have to start from the beginning, the right way. Start over, as long as that's what you want?"

She didn't answer him right away because truthfully she didn't really know what she wanted. Sure she was attracted to him, and that made her feel weird because she had hated him for a large part of her life. A small part of her couldn't help but feel like this was all some cruel joke, and she would get the rug pulled out from underneath her as soon as she admitted that perhaps she was starting to have feelings towards him.

They ate the rest of their dinner in mostly silence, and she never gave him an answer to his question. When the plates had been cleared and the bill had been paid they got up to leave, or so she thought, when he held a hand out to her and gestured towards the dance floor.

She put her hand in his, a blush spreading across her cheeks as he led her to the middle of the floor as a slow melody started with the piano followed by a saxophone. He moved her around the dance floor with ease for the first minute or so before pulling her closer so that he could whisper in her ear, "let's get out of here, I know a charming Muggle bar that you used to love, and I happen to also know that you're quite fond of fire whiskey."

She laughed and pulled back, so that she could see his face. Her breath caught in her throat again and she was very aware of him looking at her lips as she nodded, unable to speak.

 **A couple of hours later**

Draco unlocked the door to Hermione's flat and stepped aside so that she could walk in. She had loosened up at the bar finally and it had been quite reminiscent of their last time there, and even though it wasn't nearly as much fire whiskey as before, she had clearly had too much.

She giggled as she bent down to pick up Crookshanks, who squirmed out of her arms and ran to hide behind Draco's legs. He bent down to scratch him on the head and laughed when he looked at Hermione, who had a pouty look on her face.

"My cat loves you more than he loves me," then she looked thoughtful for a moment, "did you know that I once turned myself into a cat when I drank polyjuice potion to question you in the Slytherin dungeons?" She moved further into the flat, tossing her clutch on the table in the kitchen.

Draco blanched and followed her, "I'm sorry what was that? You did what?"

She giggled again at the look on his face, "oh yes, Harry and Ron had to go without me. It took forever to go back to normal…or should I say furever?"

She laughed at her bad joke as he marveled at this piece of information, everyone had always known that the trio got into mischief all the time, but no one had ever really known the extent of what they did.

He grabbed her as she fell into the kitchen counter, "I think we should cut you off from fire whiskey altogether. You can't even stand properly."

She turned herself in her arms so that she was looking up at him, their chests pressed together, "but don't you like me like this? Free and uninhibited?" She spread her arms out and looked up towards the ceiling.

He suppressed a laugh as he leaned her back against the counter, "you don't have to get drunk for me to like you. Although at times when I'm on that level with you, it's an added bonus."

She looked from the ceiling to his face and after a few moments brought her hand up to run a finger down his cheek, "my brain keeps telling me that this is a bad idea."

He opened his mouth to ask her what she meant but she had leaned up on her tip toes and covered his lips with her red painted ones. Before his mind could register what had happened, his body took over and he gripped her hips and angled his head so that he could deepen their kiss.

She moaned softly as she fisted her hands in his hair as his hands traveled down to grip under her thighs and he lifted her onto the counter top. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer, as he broke their kiss. He leaned his forehead on hers, both of them breathing heavily. He looked into her eyes and leaned back in to gently kiss her, after a few seconds their soft kisses turned deeper again as she slid off the counter and pressed her body against his.

She started to pull his shirt out of his pants when he put his hands on hers and stopped her. She broke the kiss, looking at him with a confused look on her face, "what's wrong?"

He shook his head, "this is what happened last time, too much alcohol involved and one thing led to another. I want to make sure when this happens again you really want it."

"I do really want it," she leaned back up to kiss him again but he pulled away.

"As much as I really want to do this, we should wait," he stepped back from her.

She looked at him for a few moments before an angry look crossed her face, "I'm not her, Draco! Whatever happened between you two before was just that, _before_. Merlin's beard, what happened to the Draco Malfoy who used to just take anything he wanted?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, " _I'm_ not the same person I once was either, Hermione. I told you that, and I changed because of you, or at least because of who you _were_."

She flinched as if he had hit her, "why does it have to be complicated? We're two consenting adults, Draco. Why do you have to compare it to how it was?"

He turned away from her, "because I don't want it to happen the way that it did last time! I want it to be right, and right now you still think of me this horrible person I was to you in school, and don't deny it because I can see it in your eyes when you look at me sometimes…I could see it at dinner. I want you to trust me, Hermione. So no, I'm not going to fuck you while you're drunk and will regret it tomorrow."

"What if that never changes, Draco? I may never get my memories back, I may never think of you like that again. So why not take your moment now?" She angrily spat at him.

He narrowed his eyes, "I am not that type of man, _Granger_. I will either wait for you to get your memories back, or I will wait until this version of you trusts me unreservedly."

"Why wait, Malfoy ?! You're here in my flat! I'm inviting you into my bed! What is it that you're looking for?!"

"Something more than that!" He turned back around and yelled at her. He stormed into her room and picked up the photo that was on her bedside table, "I put this here. I put it here when you were in the hospital, before we knew if you were even going to wake up. _This_ is what I want, Hermione!" He pointed at the picture of them smiling at each other.

She grabbed the photo and threw it across the room, the glass shattering, " **I'M NOT HER**! When will you get it through your head! I'm not the girl I was in this picture! So either move on and deal with it or leave!" She started to cry, hating the way he was making her feel. She had practically thrown herself at him only to be rejected and to be compared to someone she couldn't even remember being. She turned away from him and wiped at her tears but they just kept coming.

"You will _always_ be that girl, Hermione. That's the girl I fell in love with, she **IS** you!"

When she didn't respond he sighed and moved forward to place a hand on her shoulder, trying to turn her to look at him, only to have his hand shrugged off.

"Do you want me to leave? Not just leave your flat, do you want me to go back to London?" He asked softly.

She nodded without hesitation and his eyes turned hard. "If I leave I won't be coming back this time, Hermione. I told you once that I would do anything I had to, for any length of time to be the man that you deserved. But if you won't even give me a chance to do things right, then I don't know what I'm doing anymore," his voice was soft, like a whisper at her back.

The only sound in the room was the sound of her softly crying. Even Crookshanks, who was now sitting at their feet, wasn't making a sound. He waited what seemed like hours for her to say something, to say anything, but she never spoke. His blood felt cold in his veins as he stepped away from her. With every step he took he willed her to stop him and not let him leave, but she stayed silent.

Even as he opened the door to leave, she said nothing, and when the door closed she finally collapsed on the floor, hugging Crookshanks to her closely while she wept.

* * *

Ron walked in the door of the twins' flat and called out for Fred. A few moments later when he didn't get a response he walked down to the shop to see if his brother was in there. He found him counting ingredients in their stock room.

"Hey, I came to check on you, see how you were doing," he said, picking up a pad to help Fred.

"Oh I'm just dandy, you know what with everyone hating me right now and Katie dating Blaise Zabini. Everything is just absolutely peachy," Fred sounded sarcastic.

"Where is George?"

"Probably off with Angelina somewhere, he doesn't fancy being around me much these days," Fred threw the pad down on the desk and sat in a chair.

Ron did the same, "gee, I wonder why."

"I get it, I'm a git," he paused. "I just don't feel like myself, I'm so angry all the time, Ron. All the time. It's like something changed in me while I was in that coma. I hate myself for the way I've acted, for the way I treated Katie. Hell, I feel bad for the way I treated Malfoy."

Ron raised an eyebrow at him, "yea, you have gone mental."

There was a comfortable silence between them for a couple of minutes before Ron scratched the back of his head and broke it. "I tried to stop Hermione from leaving. I tried to see if maybe there was still something there between us, even knowing that she had so much going on with Malfoy, but there wasn't. It didn't stop her from leaving, and now all this has happened. It doesn't leave a very good taste in my mouth either."

"I've been thinking about leaving, going to Romania to stay with Charlie. George has Angelina to help with the shop, the new shop is running smoothly, I don't think I'm really needed here."

Ron looked thoughtful before nodding his head, "fancy some company?"

Fred smiled the first genuine smile he had in a while, "yea I think we could use a good vacation. Go tame some dragons to help us cool off."

Ron smiled at his big brother, "yea."

* * *

Hermione stormed into the lab, her tears still staining her face. It was too late to be there, but since she had access she had gotten in effortlessly. She had felt stupid sitting there on the floor, crying over Draco. So she had gone where she felt the most comfortable, and that was the lab.

There was a package on her workstation that caught her attention. It was a box with a letter folded on top of it. She opened the letter and her breath caught in her throat.

 **Hermione,**

 **Here's an ingredient I think will help, enclosed are the details of what it is and where it came from. Daphne and I had great success in our trial. I know it probably looks suspicious coming from us, but if you don't believe that we want you to remember for yourself, believe that we want it for Draco.**

 **Theo**

She opened up the other letter that was folded up in it and laughed out loud as she read its contents.

She read through it again and again, making sure that she was reading everything correctly. Then she rushed to gather ingredients to start brewing the potion that Theo had included.

* * *

Narcissa rubbed the sleep from her eyes as her house elf woke her to announce that Draco had arrived at the Manor. She sat up worriedly, wondering if Draco was in trouble, for that was the only reason she could think of where he would be waking her up in the middle of the night.

She wrapped her robe around her tight, as she walked down the hall leading to the drawing room. She frowned when she saw him, sitting in front of the fireplace with his head in his hands. She walked quickly to him and gasped when he looked up, tears in his eyes.

She had only seen her son cry a handful of times in his life, and most of those had been when he was younger.

She laid a hand on his shoulder, "Draco, darling what's wrong?"

"Everything is wrong, Mother. Nothing I do matters, I keep asking myself how on Earth I got here. How did I go from being a pureblood elitist little shit, to falling for the muggle born who befriended Potter? I'm _friends_ with Harry bloody Potter! How did that happen?!"

Narcissa smiled softly as she took a seat in the cushioned chair next to him, "people change, Draco. You changed for the better and there is nothing wrong with being friends with them."

"I changed for her-"

"No, you changed for yourself. You changed because you wanted to be a better man, to be deserving of her. That was a choice you made all on your own, my darling. You mustn't go too hard on Miss Granger, or on yourself. This is a trying time for you both, but you must continue to try, for both your sake's."

"I'm tired, Mother. I'm tired of trying, and I'm not all at the same time. I'm confused."

"Why don't you stay a while, my love. Accompany me to the gala tomorrow, let me keep an eye on you so that I can make sure you don't run off again. I think maybe you need some space, all that sun in Australia has gone to your head."

* * *

Hermione rubbed at her face, it was mid-morning and the potion was almost ready to be completed. She had seen some other people slowly filing into the lab, but all that were working on separate projects and none that had had anything to do with what she was working on.

She portioned out the amount of Firenze's hoof that was supposed to go into the potion according to Theo and Daphne, and she sat the rest on the shelf above her work station. Looking at the large clock that was floating above all the workstations in the lab, she positioned her hand over the cauldron to drop it in at just the right time.

"Miss Granger! Did you receive-," Finneus Coperland came up behind her. He startled her and stopped talking abruptly as she jumped and turned to face him.

The portion of ingredient that she had been holding dropped into the cauldron, and she bumped into the table, shaking the wall and the shelf. The rest of the hoof tipped over and rolled off of the shelf and fell into the cauldron.

Finneus blinked a few times as Hermione slowly turned to face the bubbling cauldron. The potion turned various shades of green and blue before the cauldron started bubbling and rising.

"Miss Granger, I think you should move away from there," Finneus motioned for her to come closer to him.

Hermione made to move backwards at the same time the cauldron erupted. She had less than a second to cover her face before the cauldron blew up, knocking her backwards.

She barely registered Finneus calling her name as she felt a sharp pain on the back of her head, and everything went black.

* * *

 _Harry defeating Voldemort._

 _A flash of blonde hair saving her during the final battle._

 _Discovering that Fred was alive._

 _Seeing her parents alive and well._

 _Draco showing up at her door._

 _Moaning, hands and kisses, tangled up in sheets, calling out her name._

 _Seeing the library in the flat that Draco bought for her._

 _Dancing with Draco in front of everyone._

 _Fighting with Draco in front of everyone._

 _Ron asking her what had happened between them._

 _Walking in on Pansy kissing Draco._

 _Draco telling her he loves her._

 _Draco loves her._

 _He loves her._

Hermione sat up with a jolt. She was surrounded with people from all around the lab, but Finneus waved them back to give her some room to breathe.

"Are you alright? You gave us quite the scare there, Miss Granger." He helped her sit up.

"I'm fine," she paused while rubbing her head. "It worked, I remember…things. I need to find Draco," she started to stand.

"You need to rest, you just took an explosion to the face," an elderly woman spoke softly to her, helping her into a chair.

"I'll rest for a moment. Then I need to find Draco."

* * *

Draco walked into the gala, escorting Narcissa, who was dressed in an elegant silver and green dress. They paused to take a few photos for the press, and Draco politely declined to answer any questions they had about him and Hermione.

"You'd think after all this time they would find something new to talk about," Narcissa leaned over to whisper in his ear.

Once they made it inside, he broke away from her as she met up with her friends, and he went to find Theo and Daphne.

 **Across the room**

Blaise smiled as he twirled Katie on the dance floor, "why, Miss Bell, you are a divine dancer I must say."

Katie laughed as she came back into Blaise's arms, "why, Mr. Zabini you aren't so bad yourself."

"You know, we can't deny what this is forever, Katie."

"What do you mean?" She blushed and looked down at their feet.

Blaise reached a hand under her chin and made her look back up at him, "I have fun with you. I like you, and if I'm not mistaken I think you like me too. So why don't we just call this for what it is?"

"And what is that?" Katie whispered as he lowered his head to hers.

"A relationship," he said right before he kissed her. They were both aware of a few cameras going off, and when he pulled back from her and rested his forehead on hers they smiled at each other and laughed.

Draco and Theo watched them from the side of the room in amusement. Draco raised a glass in their direction even though they couldn't see and they weren't even paying attention.

"At least the attention is finally off of me," he muttered.

"Tell me about it, I'm just glad that the press is finally leaving us alone," Daphne said, coming to stand beside them. She was wearing a long black velvet dress that shimmered green when she moved.

Theo wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple, "yes, thank Merlin for that."

They both looked at Draco who had looked away from their little display of affection, sipping on his champagne.

"How are you, Draco?" Daphne asked.

"I'm holding up, Daph," he moved to face them. "I'm going to continue working on finding a cure here in London. I won't be going back to Australia, she needs her space. I think I just make things confusing for her, and I think she's having a hard time wrapping her mind around the concept of us. It's frustrating that she can't remember, but it's worse for her and I need to stop being selfish."

He was vaguely aware that something was happening behind him, across the dance floor towards the entrance. He could hear collective murmurs and frantic whispering, and he just assumed that the press was having a field day with Blaise and Katie.

Theo and Daphne smiled to each other, something which Draco missed because he was looking down into his champagne glass. It was rare to see their friend open up like this and it seemed like it was happening at the most perfect moment.

"So what would you do if she showed up all of a sudden?" Theo asked, hugging Daphne tighter to his side.

Draco smiled down at his glass, "if she showed up here that would mean she either has fallen for me again, which is highly unlikely. Or that she remembers everything," he laughed. "In which case I'd tell her that I've fallen madly in love with her and I'm never letting her go."

He looked up at them finally, only to find that they were staring behind him. His breath caught in his throat when he heard Hermione's voice.

"I'm in love with you too, and I would be a fool to let you go, Draco."

He slowly turned to see her standing behind him, Harry and Ginny behind her with smiles on their faces. She was a vision in a long white dress, the top seemed to be made of snowflakes and the bottom fell around her in a gauzy sparkly material. She smiled her red painted lips at him as flashes from the cameras of the press illuminated her face.

"I remember, not everything, there's holes missing in my memories. But I remember what's important, or at least what I remember is important," she gently shrugged her shoulders.

"So it worked then?" Theo asked.

She nodded, "I am so grateful to you Theo, and you too Daphne. Not everything went exactly as planned but it worked none the less. I've already been out to see Firenze, he was the first stop that I made."

Draco was still staring at her, unbelieving that she was really there. She walked up to him until they were mere inches apart.

"Are you really here? Or have I gone completely mental?" He asked her.

She laughed, her eyes twinkling up at him as she shook her head, her curls bouncing around her shoulders. "I'm very real, and I came here for you."

She took another step towards him as he reached a hand up to touch her cheek. She leaned into his touch and brought her hand up to mirror his, her other wrapping around his arm as it circled her waist.

"You remember?" He breathed.

She nodded as he leaned down and closed the gap between them, placing a soft chaste kiss on her lips.

"I remember that I love you, and that I don't ever want to be apart from you again," she reached up and kissed him again.

"Alright everyone, shows over. Go back to your party." They heard Ginny's voice in the background.

They laughed and looked over at their friends, the most interesting bunch of Gryffindors and Slytherins. Harry nodded to Draco and raised a glass towards Hermione and him.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm really happy for you guys," he said.

Theo raised his glass as well and smiled down at Daphne, "to letting go of old rivalries and finding new loves."

Blaise and Katie smiled at each other as Ginny took a champagne glass off of a tray that was floating by and handed it to Hermione, who took it and raised her glass to Draco.

"To new beginnings, new friends, and coming home."

Draco raised his glass towards her in return, "to coming home."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Le sigh…it is done…almost. Epilogue will be out in the same time frame…within two weeks I promise. Even though it's been a little over two weeks for this one…but this chapter is also twenty one pages as opposed to the normal ten to thirteen. Thank you so much to all that have stuck by me through this journey! Now if you could please hit the review button and leave some kind words, I would really appreciate it. :)


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:** Super short end to this, I would be lying if I said I wasn't happy to see it come to an end.

Thank you to nogitsunescoyote, alixarra, Dreameuro, naz, JuliSt, Evadiamond2 0, Sachiko Heiwajima, fenix negro, Raven that flies at night, dlead7, Gnoloo, Jen0318, Helena W G, carrierd, and morethanbooks for your reviews.

Thank you to InkSoakedSkin, XxNaiXx, Amberskie17, DaggerTKD, lovinglovely, tinydancer319, yappsmin, mangoscabs, Phoenix9018, smallwren, LittlebigmouthOKC, EsterC94, LaBelle96, Lalatruo, Sachiko Heiwajima, and Sinful Dragon88 for adding the story to your alerts list.

Thank you to BellaFlame, Amberskie7, PrettyPrincess1616, anastasiac, listentomystory, lovinglovely, yappsmin, mangoscabs, Crazy4Pyro, LittlebigmouthOKC, EsterC94, Winnie Wanze, Ynaffit9885, LaBelle96, Ms-Fleur, Sybele, Charly the Ravenclaw, and ForeverTheWhiteTiger for adding the story to your favorites.

Last but not least thank you to BellaFlame, Amberskie7, Dreameuro, PrettyPrincess1616, and ACupples for adding me to your favorite authors or authors alert list.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

Draco's breath caught in his throat as he watched Hermione walk down the aisle towards him. She looked absolutely stunning in a long simple gown with thin straps holding it on her small frame. Her hair had been twisted and braided on top of her head and small flowers were weaved throughout the style.

Theo leaned over and whispered, "always a vision in white, she is."

Draco smirked and gave a short nod in response. She looked up at him and smiled, subconsciously playing with the ring on her finger. He wanted to get her something extravagant of course but she had forced him to go with something more simple, to suit her taste.

They locked eyes through the whole ceremony, eagerly awaiting for it to be over. They hadn't seen each other since the night before and it was the longest they had been away from each other since she had regained her memories.

It had only been a few short months since she had returned, and she had moved back into her old flat although her and Draco always spent the night together either at his place or hers.

After what seemed like forever, the ceremony finally ended and they found themselves back in each other's arms. Hustling out with the crowd and headed to where the reception would be. Draco pulled her to his side and placed a kiss on her temple.

"I love you," he whispered.

* * *

People laughed, danced, and drank the night away. Theo and Daphne were sharing a dance on the floor and everyone else had moved back to give them room.

Hermione felt someone lean up behind her and knew it was Ginny when she saw a flash of red. She leaned back into her friend as they watched their friends dance.

"Soon it's going to be you and Draco up there," Ginny whispered.

Hermione laughed softly, looking down at her ring. "Not that soon, Gin. We said we were going to take our time with it. Theo and Daphne didn't really have a choice, otherwise I know that Daphne would have liked to have more time to grow their relationship. It will be you and Harry next, then George and Angelina."

"I don't know, Blaise and Katie may beat us all to it," Ginny laughed. Both girls looked over to Katie and Blaise who were sitting on the other side of the table completely lost in each other.

"By the way, that dress looks incredible on you," Ginny said.

Hermione ran a hand over her lap, the soft meshy material of the dress shimmering, "it's so heavy. But Daphne's Mother insisted. I think she wanted it to be as painful as possible for me, she can't get over the fact that Daphne only wanted me in the wedding and not Astoria."

Both girls looked across the room to see Astoria scowling as Adrian prattled on with her Father. They laughed and turned back in towards the table as Harry and Draco made their way back from grabbing drinks.

A display of whizzing fireworks went off near Daphne's parents table, ruffling Astoria and her Mother. Theo and Daphne laughed and Hermione and Ginny exchanged a look as the twins sneakily made their way back to their table.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at them and they shrugged. "It's great advertisement for the new products! We ok'd it with Theo and Daphne! We swear!" They said in unison.

Hermione leaned over towards Fred, "I'm really glad that you're feeling better."

He smiled, "thanks, 'Mione. Working with the dragons over there really helped deal with everything that was going on. Being in a coma that long where you can still hear everyone, it just put me in a dark place, and when I woke up everything was just shit. Just needed some space to clear my head, and hey it worked out! I feel brand new!"

"Too bad Ron didn't feel the same way," Harry said.

"Nah, he stayed cause he met some bird, he just used needing more time as an excuse," George laughed.

Draco threw an arm around Hermione and leaned into her, "let's go home."

Hermione smiled, "we can't leave before Theo and Daphne."

"But I really want to take you home," he whispered, placing a chaste kiss on her bare shoulder.

"Draco! It can wait!" She laughed.

"But Crookshanks is lonely," he whined, running his fingers lightly down her back.

She shivered at his touch and turned her head to look at him. His silver eyes seemed to darken and she found herself excusing them from the table and walking towards the newlywed couple who was still on the dance floor.

Theo and Daphne separated and turned towards them, Theo smiling and opening his arms to hug them both, "you guys lasted longer than we expected!"

Hermione laughed, "you know Draco too well. Daphne you look absolutely stunning I hope you don't mind us leaving early."

"Not at all! We're actually going to head out here soon as well, our portkey leaves in an hour then it's off to Greece for a well deserved honeymoon for us," Daphne said as she hugged Hermione then Draco.

"You guys have a fantastic time! We will see you when you get back," Hermione said, hugging Theo goodbye.

They said their goodbye's to everyone else, then left the main ballroom before apparating back to Hermione's flat where Crookshanks was waiting for them, as if he knew that they were on their way home. Hermione bent down to pet him when Draco scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Draco! Put me down!" She laughed.

He tossed her on the bed and jumped in beside her, pulling her to his side and kissing the top of her head. "I love you."

She looked up at him, kissing his cheek and then moving to kiss him on the lips, "I love you."

Crookshanks chose that moment to jump up on the bed onto Draco's lap, causing them both to laugh.

"Don't worry, Crooks, we love you too," Draco laughed. Crookshanks pawed at his chest, which he usually did when he was hungry.

Hermione smiled as she watched Draco get out of bed and walk into the kitchen, holding Crookshanks. She heard him talking to the cat as he got him food, and she felt content. She felt happy and safe and everything felt right.

It truly felt like home.

* * *

 **Author's note:** I'm sorry that some of you think it's crap. I'll admit it ended differently than I wanted it to. I responded to most of the PM's but some of them I'm not even going to bother with. It's a story, it's my creation, so get over it. For those of you who have stuck by me this whole time, I thank you. Truly I thank you.


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